“Impunity has become a part of Russian culture,” Nobel Peace Prize laureate says

09/01/2023

1 minute read

People who committed crimes with their own hands should not hide behind the abstract Putin, says the head of the Center for Civil Liberties Oleksandra Matviychuk that received the Nobel Peace Prize.

“I worked with torture cases. It wasn’t Putin who tortured people, it wasn’t Putin who stuffed them in wooden boxes, it wasn’t Putin who drilled their knees with a hammer, it wasn’t Putin who raped them, it wasn’t Putin who forced them to write something on the wall with their own blood, and it wasn’t Putin who tied electric wires to their genitalia. This was done by specific people.

These people were convinced of their impunity. It is obvious to me that this impunity has become a part of Russian culture. Therefore, it is necessary to hold everyone accountable.

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