Congressman Cohen Questions Experts on Putin’s Complicity in War Crimes in Syrian Civil War

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), the House Ranking Member of the Helsinki Commission, today offered an opening statement and questioned expert witnesses on the Russian role in perpetuating ongoing atrocities, including war crimes and crimes against humanity, in the Syrian civil war.

Russia supports the Bashar al-Assad regime in its ongoing 13-year civil war and is credibly accused of exacerbating the destabilization of the region and extending aggression against innocent civilian populations. Witness testimony established that Russia’s role in Syria was a rehearsal of the tactics and weapons now being employed in Ukraine. Putin also benefits from the crisis of Syrian refugees attempting to emigrate to Europe, bolstering right-wing political leaders’ anti-immigrant policies.

See Congressman Cohen’s opening statement here.

Witnesses at today’s hearing were:

• M. Night Shyamalan, Co-Founder and President of The M. Night Shyamalan Foundation, Film Director, Producer, and Screenwriter;
• Mohammed Alaa Ghanem, Syrian Civil Society Leader and Human Rights Activist; and
• Mouaz Moustafa, Executive Director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force

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