Addressing the participants of the US Helsinki Commission's hearing on "Holding Russia Accountable for War Crimes Against Ukraine: Lessons from Nuremberg," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for no obstacles to justice. He noted that just like Nazism, Putin's state should be condemned, UNN reports.
First of all, I would like to thank the commission and everyone who helps it in its work for organizing this important hearing. Important not only in terms of the work of the commission itself. And not only from the point of view of our common goal, namely, bringing all Russian war criminals to justice. Your work is also important as a valuable signal to all people of the world. The hearings are now taking place in the same room where, after the Second World War, justice helped lay the foundations for a new and lasting protection of life and human rights
He noted that in Room 600, the site of the historic Nuremberg trials of Nazi officials, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson delivered his famous opening statement.
"On the one hand, it is bad news that even now, after all these years, humanity has to return to the Nuremberg principles to punish a new large-scale Russian evil that follows in Hitler's footsteps. On the other hand, it is still good news that there is someone who can return to those principles and bring justice. Our unity is working for the good of our nations and all people of the world," Zelensky said.
The President emphasized that there is no crime against humanity and life that Putin's Russia and those who work for its insane dictator have not yet committed.
"The world has seen Ukrainian cities and villages burned by the Russian army. Everyone in the world has at least heard about the massacres that inevitably follow the Russian tricolor across the occupied territory," Zelensky said.
He noted that it is impossible to accept the pain of families who have been separated by Putin's war and the deportation of Ukrainian children.
We must also not forget about the millions of Ukrainians who survive under Russian occupation, deprived of even basic human rights. Let there be no obstacles to justice! Just like Nazism, Putin's state must be condemned. I call on everyone who has the power to speed up the coming of real peace