Durbin Urges Secretary Of Defense To Support ICC's Investigation Into The Atrocities Committed In Ukraine In Senate Appropriations Hearing

Hearing

"Ukraine's Prosecutor General has already documented more than 77,000 war crimes and crimes against humanity, and sadly the number continues to grow. When I met with Karim Khan, I asked him if there's more the United States could do to help him gather the evidence and documents necessary to prosecute Vladimir Putin for these awful war crimes. He said there was cooperation from the Department of State, the Department of Justice, but he did not include the Secretary of Defense and your Department. Khan's efforts regarding Russian war crimes are so important that last year, Congress passed additional authorities allowing the U.S. to share critical war crimes evidence and intelligence with the ICC… Why are you reluctant to share the evidence that we have gathered in the United States [to hold] Vladimir Putin accountable for his war crimes?

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Do you feel there is a deficiency in that legislation, which holds you back from prosecuting Vladimir Putin?

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I have to ask for more General. I respect you and I voted for you, and I'd do it again, but I have to ask for more. Your personal feelings about whether you'd do it or not should be second to the law, should it not? Well, if the law says cooperate and you refuse, what conclusion am I supposed to draw?

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Why we would hold back evidence against this war criminal Vladimir Putin and the terrible things he's doing I don't understand at all. You say you don't think the law is deficient, but you have a feeling. Mr. Secretary, give me more than that."

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