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Ihor Liski: "Russians need to be told about the irreversibility of punishment"

The Rome Statute is not only about punishment, it is our worldview choice as a country, says businessman and chairman of the supervisory board of EFI Group investment company Ihor Liski. During the discussion panel on the ratification of the Rome Statute and the need to restart international justice, held as part of the joint project of LB.ua and EFI Group's New Country, he stressed how important it was that the document was adopted, that it was necessary to demonstrate the inevitability of punishing Russians now and that a broad discussion with society and the world was needed.

 Ihor Liski
Photo: Oleksandr Ratushnyak
Ihor Liski
"We have to understand that we are adopting the Rome Statute primarily for ourselves. We accept it as a society. So that Ukrainian society will never have fears that one day we will become a dictatorship and can use this against Ukrainian society and Ukrainian people. This is a fuse for ourselves... This is a choice. One of the things we are fighting for. Part of our values that we document, that we sign. We had to do it. By demanding Putin's arrest, we have to develop ourselves," the businessman said.

In his opinion, the situation with the ratification of the Rome Statute was poorly communicated in society, which caused many fears, myths and disputes that are being dispelled during public discussions.

Similarly, Ukraine needs to communicate more actively its work to bring Russians to justice, both nationally and internationally, Liski believes.

"It is very important to show, to prove that such work exists. It is important to broadcast it not only to international partners from the legal perspective. But also directly to the media and even in Russia. So that every officer thinks ten times when giving orders to bomb peaceful cities, rape Ukrainian women or kidnap Ukrainian children. This is part of the military response. Part of our victory. And this should also be used," the businessman said.

We have no right to simply create circumstances to punish Russians after the war, he added. We need to restore justice and show that the brutal military force and impunity that the Russians hope for will not be tolerated.

Photo: Oleksandr Ratushnyak

"This is very important for society, for its unity; for understanding why we are fighting; for the soldiers and officers on whose shoulders this war is being fought; for the people in the rear who feel all this shelling and rape of society. We need to understand that justice exists and will definitely come. That is why communication with Ukrainian society is extremely important.

I often appeal to the law enforcement system and government officials that we need to communicate more, through all channels. And we need to figure out how to bring this topic of justice and the irreversibility of punishment to Russians and to societies in other countries. We are very interested in this," Liski concluded.

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