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“It will take strong political and legal cooperation to make sure every Russian war criminal faces justice, including Putin,” Zelenskyy said.
“It will take strong political and legal cooperation to make sure every Russian war criminal faces justice, including Putin,” Zelenskyy said.
What is happening?
Ukrainian President Volodomy Zelenskyy was in Hague during the NATO summit, but he also had time to do something else.
To sign a very important document.
Russians must pay
On behalf of Ukraine, Zelenskyy signed an accord along with the European rights body, forming the basis for a special tribunal with one single aim:
To bring Russians to justice for their crimes against Ukraine.
Putin in the crosshairs
According to Reuters, Zelenskyy said at the ceremony:
“There is still a long road ahead. Today’s agreement is just the beginning. We must take real steps to make it work. It will take strong political and legal cooperation to make sure every Russian war criminal faces justice, including (President Vladimir) Putin.”
A long time coming
Ever since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022, Ukraine has called for at special tribunal to be created.
According to Ukrainian officials, Russian troops have committed thousands of war crimes during the war.
The tribunal is also intended to put the Russians orchestrating the invasion to justice.
Echoes from WW2
The Council of Europe was created following the horrors of WW2. The objective of the 46 members of the council is to uphold human rights and the rule of law.
And the first ever tribunal for international war crimes was actually the prosecution of Nazis following the end of WW2.
The Nuremberg Trials
After the end of WW2, the International Military Tribunal (IMT) was established.
It’s focus was to bring prominent Nazis to justice for their crimes committed during the six year long war.
24 tried, 19 convicted, 11 to death
A total of 24 prominent Nazis were tried, including Hermann Göring (Hitler’s second in command) and Albert Speer, the Nazi Minister of Armaments and War Production.
In the end, 19 of the defendants were found guilty, and 11 of them was sentenced to death.
Putin joining the list
When the tribunal is established, it is very likely that the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, will be tried for war crimes.
Pretty ironic for him to be put on a list of Nazi war criminals, since he keeps talking about “de-nazifying” Ukraine.
International arrest warrant
The International Criminal Court has already issued an arrest warrant against Putin, accusing him of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine.
