US Congress members call for hybrid court with international judges for Sri Lankan war crimes
22 September 2015
Members of the United States Congress called for the formation of a hybrid special court with international judges, prosecutors and lawyers to try war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Sri Lanka, in a letter written to US Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday.
22 September 2015
The letter, signed by 11 members of Congress, called for the US to “retain a strong leadership role in promoting accountability, reconciliation and a political settlement” in Sri Lanka and support recommendations from the OISL report.
“To that end we believe a UNHRC resolution supported by the US must include the recommendation calling for an “ad hoc hybrid special court, integrating international, judges, prosecutors, lawyers and investigators, mandated to try war crimes and crimes against humanity”,” said the letter.
“The US and the international community now have a critical role to play in ensuring accountability efforts are successful, and the recommendations of the OISL report will be implemented,” the Congress members added.
The letter concluded by stating “we must stand steadfast in our support for human rights around the world – the US has an obligation to ensure the atrocities that occurred are not repeated”.
