Statement on Russia's war crimes, genocide initiated in Estonian parlt

TALLINN – Altogether 84 members of the Estonian parliament on Wednesday initiated a statement titled "On the Russian Federation's war crimes and genocide in Ukraine", declaring the activities of the Russian army and military and political leadership in military aggression against Ukraine an act of genocide against the Ukrainian people.

Urmas Reinsalu, who handed over the draft on behalf of the initiators, emphasized that in the Russian Federation's war of aggression in Ukraine, systematic and massive war crimes committed by the Russian Federation against the people of Ukraine have come to light.

"The Riigikogu declares the activities of the military forces and military and political leadership of the Russian Federation against the Ukrainian people in the stage of the military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine that began on Feb. 24, 2022 to be an act of genocide," it is said in the explanatory memorandum.

"Accordingly, the Riigikogu calls on national parliaments and international organizations to recognize the crimes committed by the Russian Federation against the Ukrainian people as an act of genocide, to support the investigation of the crimes committed and prosecution of the perpetrators and to establish an international court in cooperation with countries," it is said in the text of the statement.