REPRESENTATIVES BERMAN AND PENCE INTRODUCE GENOCIDE ACCOUNTABLITY ACT
Azat Artsakh Daily, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]
15-06-2007
Washington, DC – The Armenian Assembly of America commended Congressmen
Howard L. Berman (D-CA) and Mike Pence (R-IN) for introducing the
Genocide Accountability Act in the House of Representatives last
week. The bipartisan legislation would make a non-U.S. national
who commits genocide outside of the United States also accountable
under U.S. law. "This bill is urgently needed to ensure that the
United States can bring to justice those who commit this atrocious
crime when they are not prosecuted elsewhere," Berman said in a
press statement. Under current law, genocide is only a crime if it is
committed within the United States or by a U.S. national outside of the
country. Although the Justice Department has identified perpetrators
of the Rwandan and Bosnian genocides who are living in the United
States, it does not have the jurisdictional right to interview or
charge any of these individuals. "The fact that we know who these
people are and where they are, yet are unable to prosecute them is an
injustice to all those who suffered from genocide," said Berman. "This
bill must be enacted as swiftly as possible to provide the Justice
Department with the tools they need." "We applaud Congressmen Berman
and Pence for introducing this significant piece of legislation, which
strengthens the U.S. commitment to fighting and stopping genocide,"
said Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. "The Assembly has
been advocating for the prevention and prosecution of current and
ongoing atrocities around the world for just as long as it has been
calling for affirmation of the Armenian Genocide. Affirmation and
prevention are one and the same principle for ending the scourge of
genocide." A similar bill introduced in the Senate by Senators Richard
Durbin (D-IL), Tom Coburn (R-OK), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), John Cornyn
(R-TX) and Russ Feingold (D-WI), was unanimously passed in March. The
Armenian Assembly of America is one of several organizations that
endorsed the Genocide Accountability Act.
Earlier this year, the Assembly submitted testimony before the Senate
Judiciary Subcommittee on Human Rights for its inaugural hearing on
"Genocide and the Rule of Law." The Assembly also submitted testimony
to a key House Subcommittee hearing on the Darfur Accountability and
Divestment Act (H. R. 180) in support of efforts to bring legitimate
pressure on the government, to affect change in its domestic and
international conduct, toward addressing the dire humanitarian
situation in Darfur, and prevent future violence in that region. The
Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide
organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian
issues. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
