MINSK, 11 December (BelTA) – The genocide of the Belarusian people did not receive proper legal assessment within the framework of the Nuremberg Trials. But these facts must be known to all, Deputy Chairman of the Belarusian Supreme Court Sergei Kondratyev told journalists ahead of the international conference to mark the 77th anniversary of the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in Minsk, BelTA has learned.
“The conference holds high public and state significance. The facts being uncovered during the recent investigation of the criminal case into genocide were not widely known before,” Sergei Kondratyev noted. He recalled that during the investigation the Prosecutor General's Office has identified five individuals who carried out numerous punitive operations on the territory of Belarus during the Great Patriotic War.
“Over 3 million people were exterminated in Belarus during the war. More than 12,000 villages were burned, and nearly 300 villages shared the fate as Khatyn. It has been reliably established that atrocities on the territory of Belarus were committed not only by Nazi occupiers but also by their accomplices from among those originating from Western Ukraine and the Baltic states,” Sergei Kondratyev added. “Materials from the criminal cases and the few remaining witnesses recount facts that were simply not previously unknown to the wider public.”
“Our primary task in reviewing these criminal cases is not only to uncover or demonstrate the things that occurred during the war, not only to reveal and name those involved in the numerous crimes, but also to show the price of victory and the price paid by the Belarusian people to the future generations, our children and grandchildren," Sergei Kondratyev affirmed.
After the war, many Nazi criminals and their accomplices received their deserved punishment; they were held criminally liable. “However, unfortunately, many left together with the German troops to countries of the so-called ‘free world’, lived to an old age and passed away. Previously, we could not bring them to criminal responsibility, but recent amendments to the legislation have made it possible to do so. These cases are currently under investigation and are being tried in court. This demonstrates that we are establishing, through judicial decisions, the fact of the genocide of the Belarusian people. This will subsequently provide us with a certain opportunity to uphold our interests regarding potential compensation for material damage on the international stage. The damage is very significant, and the figure is constantly growing due to the investigation of new facts of the genocide of the Belarusian people,” Sergei Kondratyev said.
“Through judicial decisions, we have officially documented this terrible crime committed against our people,” the deputy chairman of the Supreme Court noted.
He emphasized that some facts were documented during the Nuremberg Trials, but, to great regret, the genocide of the Belarusian people did not receive proper legal assessment during that process. "Through the criminal investigation of cases, we have that opportunity today. We have already identified the five individuals. they alone bear responsibility for an enormous number of victims. If we speak of specific facts, they are horrifying in their nature. These facts must be known to everyone," Sergei Kondratyev believes.
Unfortunately, today we see the cases involving the distribution of Nazi paraphernalia and symbols, the glorification or heroization of individual Nazi criminals, or the denial of genocide. Those guilty of such crimes face penalties under both administrative law and criminal law, Sergei Kondratyev noted. “We intend to continue this practice in the future. Primarily to ensure that this terrible thing never happens on the territory of our country again," Sergei Kondratyev added.
“The conference holds high public and state significance. The facts being uncovered during the recent investigation of the criminal case into genocide were not widely known before,” Sergei Kondratyev noted. He recalled that during the investigation the Prosecutor General's Office has identified five individuals who carried out numerous punitive operations on the territory of Belarus during the Great Patriotic War.
“Over 3 million people were exterminated in Belarus during the war. More than 12,000 villages were burned, and nearly 300 villages shared the fate as Khatyn. It has been reliably established that atrocities on the territory of Belarus were committed not only by Nazi occupiers but also by their accomplices from among those originating from Western Ukraine and the Baltic states,” Sergei Kondratyev added. “Materials from the criminal cases and the few remaining witnesses recount facts that were simply not previously unknown to the wider public.”
“Our primary task in reviewing these criminal cases is not only to uncover or demonstrate the things that occurred during the war, not only to reveal and name those involved in the numerous crimes, but also to show the price of victory and the price paid by the Belarusian people to the future generations, our children and grandchildren," Sergei Kondratyev affirmed.
After the war, many Nazi criminals and their accomplices received their deserved punishment; they were held criminally liable. “However, unfortunately, many left together with the German troops to countries of the so-called ‘free world’, lived to an old age and passed away. Previously, we could not bring them to criminal responsibility, but recent amendments to the legislation have made it possible to do so. These cases are currently under investigation and are being tried in court. This demonstrates that we are establishing, through judicial decisions, the fact of the genocide of the Belarusian people. This will subsequently provide us with a certain opportunity to uphold our interests regarding potential compensation for material damage on the international stage. The damage is very significant, and the figure is constantly growing due to the investigation of new facts of the genocide of the Belarusian people,” Sergei Kondratyev said.
“Through judicial decisions, we have officially documented this terrible crime committed against our people,” the deputy chairman of the Supreme Court noted.
He emphasized that some facts were documented during the Nuremberg Trials, but, to great regret, the genocide of the Belarusian people did not receive proper legal assessment during that process. "Through the criminal investigation of cases, we have that opportunity today. We have already identified the five individuals. they alone bear responsibility for an enormous number of victims. If we speak of specific facts, they are horrifying in their nature. These facts must be known to everyone," Sergei Kondratyev believes.
Unfortunately, today we see the cases involving the distribution of Nazi paraphernalia and symbols, the glorification or heroization of individual Nazi criminals, or the denial of genocide. Those guilty of such crimes face penalties under both administrative law and criminal law, Sergei Kondratyev noted. “We intend to continue this practice in the future. Primarily to ensure that this terrible thing never happens on the territory of our country again," Sergei Kondratyev added.
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