This Tuesday, the Council of Europe denounced “Moscow’s genocidal intent” because Russia was “destroying” numerous historical sites.
Russia, which plunders or “destroyed” many historic sites, seeks to “erase the historical and cultural identity of Ukraine”said the Council of Europe on Tuesday, denouncing “Moscow’s genocidal intent”. In a statement on the destruction of cultural heritage in Ukraine, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe “recondemned the ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine and reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders”.
The continental organization deplored “the continued attacks by the Russian Federation on cultural heritage sites in Ukraine, in violation of international humanitarian law”. “Given that more than a thousand cultural sites have been damaged or destroyed since the start of the war, Congress emphasized that the targeting and looting of cultural sites appeared to reflect a systematic policy aimed at erasing historical identity and culture of Ukraine, akin to genocidal intent”still insists the declaration adopted on Tuesday. Russia was also part of the Council of Europe, but was excluded in March 2022, a few weeks after its aggression against Ukraine.
“The Russian Federation must pay compensation for damage caused to historical, cultural and religious heritage”again recalls the Council of Europe, which set up at the beginning of April a Register of damage caused by the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. In its declaration, Congress “calls on local and regional authorities across Europe to step up their efforts to help Ukraine by establishing genuine partnerships for cultural heritage”. Established in 1949, the Council of Europe is an international organization based in Strasbourg which brings together the 46 signatory countries of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights.
