BRAMA, Apr 26, 2005, 9:00 am ET
Press release
On War Criminals in Canada and Elsewhere
Toronto In response to The Globe and Mail story, Debate over war crimes gets
heated," by Kirk Makin, 25 April 2005, the
Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Association has issued the
following statement:
"Canada should not be a haven for any war criminals. There should be
no statute of limitations on bringing any war criminals
found here, or anywhere else, to justice. We have recently launched an
international campaign asking Ukrainian president
Viktor Yushchenko, himself a second generation Holocaust survivor
whose father was a prisoner at Auschwitz, to set up an
official Commission of Inquiry on Soviet War Crimes and Crimes Against
Humanity in Ukraine.
"We do not discriminate amongst war criminals on the basis of the
alleged wrongdoer's ethnic, religious, political beliefs, or
racial heritage, or the period or place where a war crime or crime
against humanity was committed.
"We hallow all victims of genocide, equally. We do not elevate the
sufferings of the Ukrainian nation above all others nor do
we insist that investigations aimed at uncovering those who were
involved in the murder of many millions of Ukrainians before,
during and after the Second World War be given priority over any other
inquiries.
"We believe that individuals are guilty of war crimes and crimes
against humanity, not their communities, and we reject as
racist and prejudicial all attempts to stereotype entire peoples,
faith groups, or nations as somehow being guilty of the crimes of
a few.
"Where evidence exists that might lead to the identification,
apprehension, and prosecution of a war criminal we have
consistently said that such persons should be tried in Canadian criminal courts.
"We believe that all Canadians support us when we insist that any
person who participated in war crimes or crimes against
humanity should be brought to justice, without exception."
|