The Daily Populous Monday June 10th, 2024 morning edition
Authored by globalnews.ca and submitted by ubcstaffer123

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Nobel laureate and Ukrainian human rights lawyer Oleksandra Matviichuk is urging the international community to create a special tribunal to prosecute Russian President Vladimir Putin, who she calls the “biggest child kidnapper in the world.”

“This illegal deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia is part of a genocidal policy,” said Matviichuk in an interview with The West Block’s Mercedes Stephenson.

Matviichuk, whose Center for Civil Liberties jointly won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022, visited Canada this week to meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who described her on the social platform X as a “proud Ukrainian who is dedicating her life to defending civil liberties in her homeland and abroad.”

2:05 Russia-Ukraine war: NATO leaders meet as Ukraine seeks easing of western weapons restrictions

During her trip to Ottawa, she sat down with Stephenson and discussed her work documenting more than 72,000 reported human rights abuses during the war, now in its third year.

Matviichuk says some of the most egregious crimes have been committed against children, as part of what she condemns as a “widespread” and “deliberate” attempt to erase their Ukrainian identities.

“They are put in Russian relocation camps, where they have to sing the Russian national [anthem], learn the Russian language,” said Matviichuk. “And then they are prepared for the forcible adoption [by] Russian families.”

2:09 Canada urges G7 to provide financial aid to Ukraine using seized Russian assets

Last year, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Putin and Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights for the “unlawful deportation” of Ukrainian children to Russia. Moscow says it does not recognize the arrest warrants.

It is hard to get an exact figure, but Ukrainian authorities estimate as many as 20,000 children have been taken. Russia denies this.

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“There is an accountability gap,” said Matviichuk. “We have to create a special tribunal on aggression.”

The ICC can’t prosecute the crime of aggression unless both the victim and “aggressor state” have ratified and accepted the court’s jurisdiction.

Without the creation of a special tribunal, Matviichuk, warns it will be difficult to bring the Russian president to justice.

“We will have no power to prosecute [him] because he has immunity within international law,” she said.

Matviichuk says she is in touch with human rights advocates in Russia, who share heart-wrenching stories of stolen Ukrainian children.

She recounted one case, where a young boy was separated from his teenage sister, adopted by a Russian family and given a new name.

“He was crying and said, ‘This is not my name, I have another name, where’s my sister?’” said Matviichuk.

— with files from the Associated Press

Hot-Ability7086 on June 9th, 2024 at 22:01 UTC »

This is a real question: Why Putin still alive? Why is one person allowed to destroy so many others?

macross1984 on June 9th, 2024 at 21:55 UTC »

I think most people will definitely agree Putin should face justice for all the crimes he has committed both within Russia and to the world.

Unfortunately, so long as he stay put in Russia for most part and limit his activity traveling to countries friendly, he will be safe and remain free.

NyriasNeo on June 9th, 2024 at 20:53 UTC »

and also murderous war criminal. I am all for arresting this PoS, but I would not count on it.