ICAR & co-signers submit letter concerning Sen. Jeff Session’s USAG confirmation hearing

Washington, D.C. (January 9, 2017) – The International Corporate Accountability Roundtable (ICAR), and 11 other civil society organizations sent a letter to members of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary today concerning the confirmation hearing of Senator Jefferson Sessions as the United States Attorney General, scheduled on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017.

The U.S. government has a longstanding commitment to promoting and protecting human rights. The Department of Justice (DOJ) plays a crucial role in ensuring the realization of such commitment by enforcing existing laws and administering justice fairly and impartially, however powerful and wealthy the defendant may be.

However, when corporations commit wrongdoings that have human rights impacts, they very rarely are held to account. A key mission of the DOJ is to “seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior.” This should include prosecution of human rights crimes, including when such violations of law are committed by corporations.

We urge members of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary to use the confirmation hearings to clarify Senator Sessions’ commitment to upholding rule of law, including by supporting and enforcing anti-corruption measures, and measures to ensure accountability for human rights harms, including those committed by corporations.

The letter can be viewed here.

For media inquiries, please contact ICAR’s Executive Director, Amol Mehra at amol@icar.ngo or 202-296-0146.

For further information on the letter, please contact Sophia Lin, ICAR’s Legal and Policy Associate, at sophia@icar.ngo or 202-296-0147.