PACE: Russian official rhetoric reveals genocidal intent to destroy Ukrainians

Russian official rhetoric used to justify the full-scale invasion and aggression against Ukraine carries characteristics of public incitement to genocide or reveals a genocidal intent to destroy the Ukrainian national group as such or at least part of it.

This is stated in the resolution entitled “Legal and human rights aspects of the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine” adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on Thursday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“The Assembly notes that there is mounting evidence that the Russian official rhetoric used to justify the full-scale invasion and aggression against Ukraine, the so called “de-Ukrainianisation” process, carries characteristics of public incitement to genocide or reveals a genocidal intent to destroy the Ukrainian national group as such or at least part of it,” reads the resolution.

PACE recalls that the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, to which both Ukraine and the Russian Federation are parties, prohibits direct and public incitement to commit genocide and the attempt to commit genocide.

“It [PACE] also notes with the utmost concern that some of the acts committed by Russian forces against Ukrainian civilians could fall under Article II of the Convention, such as killings and forcible transfer of children of one group to another group, for russification purposes through adoption by Russian families and/or transfer to Russian-run orphanages or residential facilities like summer camps,” the document says.

The resolution mentions "possible genocide" in Ukraine three times. In particular, the text refers to the war of aggression waged by the Russian Federation against Ukraine and "atrocities that flow from it (war crimes, crimes against humanity and possible genocide)". It also contains a provision that the creation of an international special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine should not affect "the ICC’s exercise of jurisdiction over war crimes, crimes against humanity and possible genocide committed in the context of the ongoing aggression." In addition, the resolution mentions already existing international and domestic accountability mechanisms to investigate, prosecute and, where appropriate, punish "war crimes, crimes against humanity and possible genocide committed during the ongoing war".

The Assembly recalls that all States Parties to the Genocide Convention have a duty to punish genocide. “As interpreted by the International Court of Justice, they also have an obligation to prevent genocide and a corresponding duty to act, which arises at the instant when the State learns of, or should normally have learned of, the existence of a serious risk that genocide will be committed,” reads the resolution.

As reported, PACE unanimously adopted a resolution on the legal and human rights aspects of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, condemning Russia's violation of human rights in the full-scale war against Ukraine.

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