Prosecute Iran for Genocide Threats

Senators have introduced a resolution (S. Res. 574) calling for the International Criminal Court to investigate Iranian leaders for violating the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

The bipartisan resolution, introduced by Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), strongly condemns statements by Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that call for the destruction of Israel.

The resolution also calls on U.N. member states to fully implement existing U.N. Security Council sanctions against Iran and to impose their own sanctions against the country.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Comments on the Holocaust and 9/11

Key Points

Incitement to Genocide
For years, the Iranian regime has repeatedly called for the destruction of Israel and issued inflammatory anti-Semitic statements that presents Israel’s annihilation as a religious duty.
Seeking Genocidal Weaponry
Iran actively seeks to acquire weapons of mass destruction that could achieve its murderous objectives and has repeatedly spurned international demands to halt its nuclear program.
Strong Message Needed
The international community must send a strong message that its current path is unacceptable and that it may face prosecution in international courts if it does not alter its behavior.