RELEASE: Rep. Hill Applauds Inclusion of Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act in FY20 NDAA

Statement

Today, Congressman French Hill (AR-02) praised Congressional leaders for including H.R. 31, the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act in the FY20 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Congressman Hill is an original cosponsor of the Caesar Syrian Civilian Protection Act, bipartisan legislation which will impose new sanctions on Syrian human rights abusers and those who facilitate the regime's atrocities.

"Earlier this year, I met with 'Caesar,' a Syrian defector who risked his life to smuggle photographic proof of the atrocities committed by Bashar al-Assad and his brutal regime to the United States," said Congressman Hill. "These photos, now known as the Caesar Files, depict more than 55,000 men, women, and children who suffered horrific torture and murder in Assad's prisons throughout Syria.

"His message to me was this: do not let the 500,000 Syrians murdered by Assad and his henchmen die in vain. Today, with the inclusion of the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act in the NDAA, the United States is sending a clear message that we will not turn away and ignore heinous acts committed against civilians by Assad, Iran, and Russia. I'm calling on President Donald J. Trump to sign this important legislation promptly after its passage."

Background:

This legislation imposes new sanctions on Syrian human rights abusers and those who facilitate the regime's atrocities. It also authorizes the State Department to support entities that are collecting and preserving the chain of evidence for eventual prosecution of those who have committed war crimes in Syria since the war began in 2011. The Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act is named in honor of the former Syrian military photographer "Caesar" who risked his life to document Assad's horrific brutality and revealed his findings to members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Congressman Hill spoke in support of the passage of the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act when it was brought to the House floor for a vote this past January.

This past June, Congressman Hill spoke out on the House floor against the daily atrocities occurring in Syria. Congressman Hill called on Congressional leaders to act on legislation, H.R. 336, the Strengthening America's Security in the Middle East Act, which includes additional sanctions related to the conflict in Syria.

This past May, the Washington Examiner published Congressman Hill's op-ed highlighting the difficult, yet necessary steps the United States must take to end the ongoing civil war in Syria.

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