This morning, Vice President Harris spoke at a press conference in Warsaw, Poland, where she discussed U.S. support for NATO and backed calls for an international investigation into war crimes following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Responding to her remarks, Daniel Balson, Europe and Central Asia Advocacy Director at Amnesty International USA, said:
“Vice President Harris’ support for an international investigation into Russia’s violations of international humanitarian law in Ukraine is a clarion call for political leaders in the U.S. and abroad to stand on the side of human rights.
“For too long, Republican and Democratic administrations in the U.S. have stood in the way of the pursuit of international justice. As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues, we are witnessing what impunity looks like: it looks like missile attacks against maternity hospitals and the clusterbombing of preschools. Political leaders in the U.S. and abroad must choose whether we will live in a world where the shelling of civilian neighborhoods is greeted with indifference or with justice.
“We look forward to the administration turning the Vice President’s words into deeds and urge it to reaffirm its signature of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and provide tangible support for its work.”
Background
At present 123 nations have ratified the Rome Statute and are members of the ICC Assembly of States Parties. While the United States played a central role in the establishment of the Rome Statute that created the ICC and initially signed the treaty, the administration of former President George W. Bush effectively withdrew the signature.
In 2014, Ukraine’s parliament adopted a resolution accepting ICC’s jurisdiction for war crimes committed on its territory from February 2014.
Contact: Gabby Arias, [email protected]
