Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine

On the recognition of the genocide of the Circassian (Adyghe) people committed by the Russian Empire

 

Taking into account the provisions of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
other international treaties and international legal documents of the United Nations Organization on Human Rights;

 

Emphasizing the international legal obligation of all states to cooperate and develop friendly relations between nations on the basis of compliance with the principle of equality provided for in Article 1 of the Charter of the United Nations, in order to stop violations of universally recognized principles and norms of international law, which include, in particular, the prohibition of genocide;

Based on the principle of equality and self-determination of peoples as a mandatory norm of modern international law and considering that the Convention on the Prevention of the Crime of Genocide. and the punishment for it criminalizes actions committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group: killing members of a group, inflicting severe physical or mental injuries on members of a group, intentionally creating living conditions for such a group that lead to its complete or partial physical destruction, applying measures aimed at preventing births in such a group, forcibly transferring children of such a group to another group;

Considering that the ethnic cleansing of Circassian territories during the Caucasian War of 1763-1864, as a result of which more than 90 percent of Circassians were physically destroyed or expelled from their historical homeland, was a series of pre-planned brutal actions aimed at oppressing the Circassian (Adyghe) people, suppressing their identity, deliberately creating living conditions for this ethnic group that lead to its complete or partial physical destruction;

Taking into account the historical evidence confirming the criminal actions of the Russian Empire during the Caucasian War of 1763-1864 to create artificial famine and epidemics among the civilian population in order to physically destroy the Circassians;

Stating that the crimes of the Russian Empire against the Circassian (Adyghe) people and other peoples enslaved by it have not yet been given due legal and moral assessment;

Emphasizing that the current Russian regime's justification of the crimes of the previous ruling regimes has led to the fact that today the Russian Federation pursues such a foreign and domestic policy, which has the consequence of the international recognition of its state as a sponsor of terrorism and a state that uses terrorist means to commit terrible crimes against the Ukrainian and other peoples;

Drawing attention to the fact that the current Russian regime continues the policy of physical destruction of enslaved peoples;

Condemning the criminal actions of the repressive regime of the Russian Empire, aimed at the subjugation of peoples and the implementation of a colonial policy towards them, the result of which was the destruction of millions of people, the
destruction of the social foundations of peoples, their age-old traditions, spiritual culture and ethnic identity;

Showing solidarity with all peoples enslaved by the Russian Empire, who, together with the Ukrainian people, suffered significant losses and suffering as a result of being in the common "prison of peoples";

Recognizing the need to restore historical justice to these peoples; taking into account the resolution of the Parliament of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic of February 7, 1992 No. 977-ХІ-В on the condemnation of the Adyghe (Circassian) genocide during the Russo-Caucasian War;

Taking into account the resolution of the Parliament of Georgia dated May 20, 2011 No. 4701-IS regarding the recognition of the genocide of the Circassians carried out by the Russian Empire;

Confirming the Appeal of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to the international community on support of the right to self-determination of the peoples of the Russian Federation approved on October 6, 2022, The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine decrees:

1. To recognize the mass destruction of the Circassian (Adyghe) people and their violent expulsion from their historical homeland, committed by the Russian Empire during the Caucasian War of 1763-1864, as genocide of the Circassian (Adyghe) people.

2. To express sincere condolences to the Circassian (Adyghe) people in connection with the genocide committed by the Russian Empire and to honor the memory of all the victims of this crime.

3. Resolutely condemn the crimes of genocide of the Russian Empire, which led to the death of hundreds of thousands of Circassians, caused significant damage to the social foundations of the Circassian (Adyghe) people and great losses to humanity.

4. To call on foreign states and international organizations that have not yet recognized the mass destruction of the Circassians as genocide, to recognize the mass destruction of the Circassians and their forcible deportation as the genocide of the Circassian (Adyghe) people.

5. To instruct the Government of Ukraine to appeal to the governments of foreign countries to help increase the level of awareness of this and other crimes committed by the Russian Empire by spreading knowledge about such crimes in educational and research programs.

6. Condemn attempts by the current Russian regime to deliberately distort historical facts to support the ideology of oppression and aggression.

7. To recognize the right of the exiled Circassian (Adyghe) people to repatriate to the historical lands of resettlement in the northwestern part of the Caucasus, with further realization of the right to national self-determination on their territory.

8. To instruct the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to ensure the urgent forwarding of this Resolution to the governments and parliaments of foreign countries, institutions of the European Union, the Secretary General of the United Nations, the Permanent Forum of the United Nations on Indigenous Peoples, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.

9. This Resolution enters into force on the day of its adoption.

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Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine

 

R. STEPANCHUK

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Kyiv
January 9, 2025
No. 4206-IX

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