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Washington, DC - The Crimes Against Humanity Act, legislation that would make it a violation of U.S. law to commit a crime against humanity was introduced this week by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Russ Feingold (D-WI), reported the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly). The intent of the legislation is to prevent perpetrators of the worst human rights violations from finding safe haven in the United States.
Bryan Ardouny with Senator Durbin, prior to a 2008 Subcommittee hearing
Senator Durbin, Assistant Senate Majority Leader and Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law, commented, "The United States led the first prosecutions for crimes against humanity in the Nuremberg trials, following the Second World War. These horrible crimes, however, are still taking place. Our promise to hold accountable those who commit the most unspeakable crimes will ring hollow unless we lead the world in punishing those responsible for the gravest human rights violations."
"The Armenian Assembly commends Senators Durbin, Leahy and Feingold for introducing this important legislation," said Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. "It was Henry Morgenthau, Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, who alerted the world to the horrors of the Armenian Genocide setting in motion America's first international humanitarian intervention to help save the survivors. America's response at that time was unprecedented. Chairman Durbin's legislation represents another step forward in the cause of genocide prevention by ensuring that the perpetrators of such heinous acts cannot find refuge in the United States."
A broad coalition of advocacy organizations, including the Assembly, signed a letter sent to Chairman Durbin, urging passage of this legislation, which "has not existed before today, despite the U.S. government's sustained efforts to ensure accountability for crimes against humanity elsewhere." The letter went on to read, "though U.S. law prohibits grave human rights violations such as genocide and torture, alleged perpetrators of crimes against humanity may escape accountability due not to their innocence of unforgivable acts but to loopholes in the U.S. criminal code. The Crimes Against Humanity Act of 2009 would close this illogical gap in U.S. law."
Last year, Ardouny submitted written testimony to a Subcommittee hearing entitled, "From Nuremberg to Darfur: Accountability for Crimes Against Humanity," which read, "The U.S. can and must utilize the resources at its disposal to stem the loss of life and end the cycle of genocidal violence... We urge this Subcommittee to continue to actively generate and introduce new mechanisms to better protect potential victims from future genocides and the consequences of genocide denial."
In 2007, Durbin authored of the Genocide Accountability Act, which the Assembly supported and was signed into law. Durbin has also taken the lead in spearheading legislation to reaffirm the Armenian Genocide, which despite incontrovertible evidence, Turkey continues to deny.
Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a 501(c) (3) tax-exempt membership organization.
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