Graham war crimes resolution unanimously passes Senate  

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham’s (R-South Carolina) Senate resolution calling for Vladimir Putin and members of his regime to be held accountable for the numerous acts of war crimes, aggression, and human rights abuses conducted under his watch unanimously passed the United States Senate today.

The Graham resolution:

• Strongly condemns the ongoing violence, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, and systematic human rights abuses being carried out by the Russian Armed Forces and their proxies and President Putin’s military commanders, at the direction of President Vladimir Putin.
• Encourages member states to petition the ICC or other appropriate international tribunal to take any appropriate steps to investigate war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Russian Armed Forces and their proxies and President Putin’s military commanders, at the direction of President Vladimir Putin.
• Supports any investigation into war crimes, crimes against humanity, and systematic human rights abuses levied by President Vladimir Putin, the Russian Security Council, the Russian Armed Forces and their proxies, and President Putin’s military commanders.
• Encourages the United States Government and partner nations to use their voice, vote, and influence in international institutions in which they are members to hold President Vladimir Putin, the Russian Security Council, the Russian Armed Forces and their proxies, and President Putin’s military commanders accountable for their sponsorship of ongoing violence, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, and systematic human rights abuses.
• Stands with the people of Ukraine who have been affected by the brutality of the Putin regime.

“I’m very excited the United States Senate has unanimously agreed to support the war crimes investigation being conducted against Putin and his inner circle at the Hague,” said Graham. “America should do all we can to aid this investigation by providing information and intelligence to the court in a timely manner. 

“The next step for me is to work with our British allies and hopefully others to create an intel cell that will make available to the public Russian military units engaged in war crimes and start naming their commanders. A name-and-shame campaign is in the making.”

The resolution was cosponsored by Senators Chris Coons (D-Delaware), Ben Cardin (D-Maryland), Angus King (I-Maine), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Dianne Feinstein (D-California), Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Cory Booker (D-New Jersey), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Martin Heinrich (D-New Mexico), Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island), Mike Braun (R-Indiana), Mark Kelly (D-Arizona), Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire), and Richard Durbin (D-Illinois).

The text of the resolution can be found here.