Russia dismisses speculations that its soldiers may face Nuremberg-like trial amid war

The Russian embassy in the US on Wednesday dismissed the speculations about a possible “new Nuremberg Trial”  against Russian soldiers as "inadmissible and absolutely false". In a statement shared on its Telegram channel, the Russian embassy wrote, "We think any speculations about organising a ‘new Nuremberg Trial’ against Russian soldiers allegedly responsible for crimes in Ukraine are inadmissible."

According to Russian news agency TASS, the embassy averred that Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin's troops are “defending civilians in Donbas from the Nazi” who are receiving the support of the US along with several other European nations. It said that the “collective West openly propagates misanthropic ideas”. 

"Under the pretext of defending the freedom of speech, which allegedly has an absolute character in the United States, Washington keeps on opposing a United Nations General Assembly resolution on fighting against glorification of Nazism, neo-Nazism and other practices promoting escalation of modern forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance we initiate every year," Russian embassy noted.

"In the current Russophobic atmosphere, the so-called human rights activists are only serving the interests of the local ruling class. That is why they are disseminating fakes about the use of cluster bombs against civilians in Kharkov [Kharkiv] by Russian soldiers and at the same time are ignoring bombardments of dwelling quarters in Donetsk by Ukrainian nationalists who are using Western weapons," it added.

Known as Nuremberg Trial, in November 1945, the US, Great Britain, France and the Soviet Union convened the International Military Tribunal at the Palace of Justice in Nuremberg, Germany for the trial of 22 former Nazi leaders for conspiracy, crimes against peace, war crimes against humanity. The ones being tried were among the members of infamous leader Adolf Hitler's inner circle and German military leaders. 

War crimes trial by Russia &Ukraine

The speculations around a "new Nuremberg Trial'' came in the backdrop of both Moscow and Kyiv starting war crimes trials against soldiers captured by either side amid the war. The war crimes trial of a Russian soldier in Ukraine concluded on May 23 with a conviction and life sentence for the defendant under international law. Russia recently sentenced two Britons and a Moroccan to death for fighting against Russia for Ukraine.

Image: AP