PACE recognizes that Russia is committing cultural genocide in Ukraine

The PACE (Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe) has recognized that Russia is committing cultural genocide on Ukrainian territories, according to Yevhenia Kravchuk, Deputy Chair of the Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy.

The Parliamentary Assembly also recognized that the erasure of Ukrainian cultural identity is an instrument of war against Ukraine and is aimed at destroying the Ukrainian nation.

“Such actions constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity and indicate a specific genocidal intent to destroy the Ukrainian nation or at least a part of it, in particular by destroying Ukrainian identity and culture. This is part of the genocidal campaign that Russia is waging against the Ukrainian people,” she added.

The key provisions of the document to be voted on in the hall at the June PACE session include

• to ensure full reparation on the basis of international law, in particular through restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, satisfaction, and guarantees of non-repetition of destruction;

• raise awareness of how propaganda, colonial, and neocolonial practices, including the ideology of the “Russian world”, can create the basis for violations of international law, in particular with regard to cultural heritage;

• provide for sanctions against anyone who carries out or facilitates the illegal transfer or trade of artifacts, conducts illegal excavations or uses artifacts for their own purposes (exhibitions, auctions, scientific publications), and ensure that authorities and state institutions involved are held accountable.

Author - Serhii Kolomiets, 29/05/2024