A draft resolution is being presented in the US House of Representatives today, aiming to create a legal and judicial framework for holding Bashar al-Assad and his criminal regime accountable for documented war crimes and crimes against humanity.
If the resolution is passed, the United States would play a leading role in establishing an international judicial mechanism focused on Syria through the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). This mechanism is intended to prevent Assad’s allies, Russia and China, from obstructing justice for the Syrian people as they have done in the past through Security Council vetoes.
Establishing such a mechanism through the UNGA has precedent, as seen with previous tribunals set up to investigate conflicts and crimes in Yugoslavia, Rwanda, and Sierra Leone. If the tribunal is established, the regime will be charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity, as there is substantial evidence supporting the Assad regime’s involvement in crimes against the Syrian people.
Muhammad Ghanem, one of the supporters of the initiative, stated that if the legislation passes, the US Ambassador to the UN would be required to utilize “the voice, vote, and influence of the United States” to immediately call for the establishment of an international mechanism to prosecute those responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and human rights violations in Syria.
