US Lawmakers Introduce Bill To 'Hold Russia Accountable' For Alleged War Crimes

US lawmakers on the House Foreign Affairs Committee introduced legislation to coordinate evidence collection for alleged war crimes committed by Russia during its special operation in Ukraine as a means of deterring them, the lawmakers said on Thursday in a press release

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st March, 2022) US lawmakers on the House Foreign Affairs Committee introduced legislation to coordinate evidence collection for alleged war crimes committed by Russia during its special operation in Ukraine as a means of deterring them, the lawmakers said on Thursday in a press release.

"This week, House Foreign Affairs Committee Lead Republican Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Chairman Gregory Meeks (D-NY) introduced H.R. 7276, the Ukraine Invasion War Crimes Deterrence and Accountability Act. This bill will ensure the U.S. has a coordinated effort to collect evidence to be used to prosecute Russian war crimes in Ukraine, and will help to deter future war crimes by ensuring Russian troops and their commanders know the world is watching closely," the press release said.

The legislation requires the Biden administration to detail the US government's evidence collection process of potential war crimes in order to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable, according to the press release.

The bill also requires the Biden administration to describe the process domestic and international courts could use to request and obtain information on potential war crimes from the US government, the press release added.

Russia began a special operation to demilitarize and "denazify" Ukraine last month, responding to calls for help from the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics in countering the aggression of Ukrainian troops.

Moscow has vociferously rejected claims that Russian troops have violated conventions regulating armed conflict, while Donbas residents have accused the International Criminal Court and other international bodies of ignoring Ukrainian aggression against the breakaway Russian-speaking region over the past eight years. Russia also said that Ukrainian forces are using typical terrorist methods, such as hiding behind civilians and positioning weapons systems in civilian areas.