Mark Bednar; 202-738-0744
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Sean Duffy (R-WI), today sent a letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley requesting an update on what actions the United States has taken since former Secretary of State John Kerry declared that ISIS has been committing genocide against Christians, Yezidis, and other religious and ethnic minorities.
The letter, in part, said:
“We are writing to request an update on what actions the United States has taken, since the declaration by former Secretary of State John Kerry on March 17, 2016, that ISIS has been committing genocide against Christians, Yezidis, and other religious and ethnic minorities, to investigate the perpetrators and hold them accountable.
“Additionally, we urge you to ensure that the United States is leading efforts at the United Nations and elsewhere to bring worldwide attention to the atrocities committed by ISIS against religious and ethnic minorities and to bring the perpetrators to justice. We urge you to press the U.N. Security Council to authorize a formal investigation into genocide and other atrocity crimes of ISIS, against the full range of victims, so that the perpetrators can be brought to justice.
“The U.N. must stop waiting for and relying on the government of Iraq to approve prosecuting ISIS perpetrators who committed their crimes in Iraq. There must also be a mechanism that focuses exclusively on the crimes of ISIS, rather than the “International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism to Assist in the Investigation and Prosecution of Those Responsible for the Most Serious Crimes under International Law Committed in the Syrian Arab Republic since March 2011” which also includes crimes committed in the context of the civil war in Syria.
“The need for action is urgent. One year since the genocide declaration of former Secretary Kerry, ISIS continues to terrorize innocent civilians in Iraq, Syria, and all over the world. To date, no ISIS perpetrator has been tried for genocide, crimes against humanity, or war crimes, evidence that the international community has done too little to hold them accountable.”
Background:
The bipartisan letter was signed by members of both the House & Senate
To read the letter in its entirety, click HERE.
