Congresswoman Tenney Highlights Potential Russian War Crimes, Pushes for Deterrence and Accountability

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-22), member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, yesterday joined a Subcommittee on Europe, Energy, the Environment and Cyber hearing to highlight potential war crimes committed by Russia in its unprovoked war against Ukraine. Tenney pressed expert witnesses for recommendations on how to ensure those responsible are held to account.

The hearing, titled “Early Signs of War Crimes and Human Rights Abuses Committed by the Russian Military During the Full-Scale Invasion of Ukraine,” featured testimony from several distinguished experts, including Dr. Anthony Clark Arend (Professor of Government and Foreign Service, Georgetown University), Ms. Bonnie Docherty (Senior Researcher, Arms Division, Human Rights Watch), Mr. Marc Garlasco (Military Advisor, PAX for Peace), and Mr. Christo Grozev (Chief Executive Officer, Bellingcat).

During the hearing, Tenney asked the witnesses about early evidence of war crimes committed by the Russian military in Ukraine, such as the use of thermobaric weapons and cluster munitions against civilians. She also pressed for suggestions on how to sanction Russia more effectively to create deterrence against the potential use of chemical weapons. Finally, Tenney highlighted the Kremlin’s years-long disinformation campaign that it has used as an attempt to justify its invasion of Ukraine and asked for recommendations to ensure Putin’s regime officials are held accountable for their crimes and evil acts.

The full video of Tenney’s remarks is available here.

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