Advocating or promoting genocide Is an indictable offense in Canada

by Eugene Czolij
former president of the Ukrainian World Congress
president of the Ukraine-2050 nongovernmental organization

Source: KyivPost

Read this story in French 

Canada has measures to combat hate propaganda.

Section 318 of the Criminal Code provides that:

“(1) Every person who advocates or promotes genocide is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than five years. (2) In this section, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy in whole or in part any identifiable group, namely, (a) killing members of the group; or (b) deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction. […].”

On April 12, 2022, former US President Joe Biden qualified the atrocities being committed by Russia in Ukraine as “genocide” and explained that “I called it genocide because it’s become clearer and clearer that Putin is just trying to wipe out even the idea of being Ukrainian. The evidence is mounting.”

Then, on April 27, 2022, by unanimous consent, the House of Commons of Canada passed a Motion recognizing that “the Russian Federation is committing acts of genocide against the Ukrainian people”, including: “systematic instances of willful killing of Ukrainian civilians and the desecration of corpses… torture and the imposition of life conditions causing grave suffering.”

Ten months later, on Feb. 23, 2023, the National Assembly of Quebec unanimously adopted a motion stating that “like the House of Commons of Canada, it denounces the acts of a genocidal character committed against the Ukrainian people, which have been reported by the media.”

In addition to Canada, several countries have also recognized this ongoing genocide with appropriate acts of their parliaments, namely the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and the Republic of Ireland.

Genocide is such a horrific crime that the first human rights treaty adopted by the UN General Assembly was the Genocide Convention.

On Dec. 9, 1948, the UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, and it was subsequently ratified by 153 UN member states, including Canada, who undertook not only to punish the crime of “genocide,” but also to prevent it.

Indeed, Article 1 of this Genocide Convention stipulates that: “The Contracting Parties confirm that genocide, whether committed in time of peace or in time of war, is a crime under international law which they undertake to prevent and to punish.”

In view of this, no one in Canada should be allowed to advocate or promote with impunity Russia’s current genocidal war against Ukraine.

Russia uses disinformation and various other tactics in its efforts to justify its invasion of Ukraine.

For instance, the letter “Z” has become a recognizable symbol in support of Russia’s genocidal war against Ukraine.

Thus, in Germany, the use of the letter “Z” as a symbol to demonstrate support of Russia’s all-out war against Ukraine can be punished under criminal law.

Canadian authorities should also ensure that Russia’s imperialist plans, which are far-reaching and constitute today’s most serious threat to global security, not be advocated or promoted in Canadian cities under any pretext whatsoever, including at the “Immortal Regiment” events to mark the May 9 Victory Day.

Any clear public display in support of Russia’s genocidal war against Ukraine, including the use of such symbols as the letter “Z”, should be addressed in accordance with Canada’s existing legislation against hate propaganda, namely Section 318 of the Criminal Code.

Other countries with similar legislation should also enforce it to prevent anyone from advocating or promoting genocide.

Сover: shutterstock