April 17, 2025
PRESS RELEASE
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congresswoman Julie Johnson (TX-32), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, introduced a bipartisan resolution honoring North Texas resident and human rights activist Vasfije Krasniqi-Goodman, a survivor of sexual violence during the 1999 Kosovo War. In the resolution, Johnson calls for long-overdue accountability for Serbian war crimes.
Vasfije Krasniqi-Goodman was just a teenager when she was kidnapped, tortured, and raped by Serbian forces during the war. Despite the harrowing details of her case, no one has ever been brought to justice. Her courage in publicly sharing her story has made her a global voice for survivors of wartime sexual violence.
“Vasfije’s strength has inspired countless people worldwide, but justice for what she endured has never come,” said Johnson. “This resolution sends a clear message: the international community must not look away from war crimes. Survivors deserve accountability—not silence. This is not just about what happened 25 years ago—it’s about what we’re willing to do now to uphold human rights, empower survivors, and speak the truth.”
“I am immensely proud of Rep. Julie Johnson and co-sponsors Reps. Veasey, Torres, Ocasio-Cortez, Self, Latimer, Omar and McGovern, for introducing a bipartisan legislation against the use of rape as a weapon of war,” said Vasfije Krasniqi Goodman, Survivor and Human Rights Activist. “This resolution is a testament to the unwavering commitment to justice and accountability for the 20,000 survivors of sexual war crimes in Kosovo. Thank you for your unrelenting support to survivors in our quest for justice and accountability, and looking forward to moving this legislation in the House Foreign Affairs Committee and further.”
“As an advocate of a movement to amplify the voices of the survivors in their quest for justice, we are profoundly grateful to Rep. Johnson’s leadership on this issue and salute all members, and Rep. Keith Self for making this a bipartisan issue,” said Vera Mjeku from Rally For Her Justice. “Vasfije Krasniqi Goodman and all other survivors remind us of our shared duty to stand for what is right and join the global call for an end to sexual violence in conflict and fight for accountability and justice.”
The resolution is being introduced ahead of the anniversary of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2467, which reaffirms states’ responsibility to end impunity for sexual violence in conflict. Johnson’s measure:
Urges the Government of Kosovo to uphold its commitments to survivors and prioritize unresolved cases of sexual violence from the 1999 war;
Calls on the Government of Serbia to prosecute those responsible for sexual war crimes;
Presses the U.S. Government to elevate Vasfije Krasniqi-Goodman’s case in diplomatic engagements with Serbia and strengthen America’s efforts to prevent gender-based violence globally.
The resolution has bipartisan support, with original cosponsors including Representatives Marc Veasey (D-TX-33), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14), Ritchie Torres (D-NY-15), Keith Self (R-TX-03), George Latimer (D-NY-16), Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05), and Jim McGovern (D-MA-02).
Congresswoman Julie Johnson represents Texas’ 32nd Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives, serving on the Homeland Security Committee, Foreign Affairs Committee, and the House Administration Committee. Her district includes parts of Collin, Dallas, and Denton Counties.
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