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Polish president renews call for special tribunal for Russian war crimes in Ukraine

09.05.2023 23:15
Polish President Andrzej Duda has renewed his call for the establishment of a special tribunal for Russian war crimes in Ukraine, saying that "all Russian crimes must be investigated, judged and punished."
Polish President Andrzej Duda.
Polish President Andrzej Duda.Photo: Jakub Szymczuk/KPRP

Speaking during an online summit of Western leaders on Tuesday, Duda said that Ukraine was "defending itself against the barbaric Russian aggressor that violates international law and all the principles and values our international community has agreed to follow."

He added that "it is really difficult to imagine a world in which an aggressor and their crimes are not condemned and punished, a world in which an aggressor avoids legal responsibility for their brutal actions."

"Justice is justice and all Russian crimes must be investigated, judged and punished," Duda stated during Tuesday's Online Summit of Core Group Leaders on the Establishment of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression Against Ukraine.

He noted that the International Criminal Court in The Hague in March issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The move "sent a strong message to Russia but also to other states committing crimes that the enforcement of justice has already started," according to Duda.

"I believe that soon we will witness the end of Russian aggression against Ukraine," he declared. "Russia will be stopped and defeated."

Duda added that this "must be done both on the battlefield in combat and before a special tribunal to prosecute the crime of aggression against Ukraine."

'Let’s finally make the crime of aggression punishable'

He appealed to other world leaders: "Let’s cooperate to create an effective mechanism for the prosecution of crimes against Ukraine. Let’s make Russian criminals who represent violence, terror and death spend the rest of their lives behind bars. Let’s finally make the crime of aggression punishable."

The Polish president stated: "We must ensure that international law is respected in every corner of the world. And make all the dictators and aggressors realize that their crimes will be punished."

He urged the international community "to make every possible effort" to establish such a special tribunal.

"Together we need to prove that international criminal law exists and works, and that justice prevails," he said, as quoted by his office.

Tuesday is day 440 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

(gs)

Source: IAR, PAPpresident.pl