After the forum on "Interaction of State Authorities, Regional Representatives of the Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for Human Rights and Civil Society Organizations, and International Partners with the Aim of Increasing Awareness and Expertise in Responding to and Preventing SNPK," Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets stated that crimes committed by Russians should be handled by a separate tribunal similar to the Nuremberg Trials, in addition to the International Military Tribunal. He made this statement to an Espresso correspondent.
"It is extremely difficult to develop punishment algorithms because Russians evade accountability since they are not physically present here. As a state, we are currently conducting all proceedings against those Russians who are located on the territory of Ukraine and are in a special camp for Russian prisoners of war," noted Lubinets.
In addition to the International Military Tribunal, a mechanism is being developed for the creation of a separate tribunal to condemn the actions of Russian military personnel and the highest military leadership of the Russian Federation, as stated by the Ombudsman.
Lubinets also answered why this is necessary for Ukraine.
"The International Criminal Court, which issued two arrest warrants for Putin and Lvova-Belova, does not allow for trials in absentia. In other words, a person must be physically present at the hearing. We understand that as long as Putin is alive, he will probably evade such punishment. That is precisely why, as a state, we are pursuing the initiative to create a separate tribunal. There has been a precedent for this - the Nuremberg Trials. I won't say that it is easy for us because many of our partners, in my opinion, do not want such a precedent because it will be the first time something like this has been created since the end of World War II. Perhaps this will be an indicator that existing international organizations are showing their ineffectiveness. Then, we will not only discuss their replacement but also the possible creation of entirely new organizations that can carry out similar mandates," explained Dmytro Lubinets.
