SBU blames Stalin for genocide of Ukrainians

KYIV, December 24 /UKRINFORM/. Joseph Stalin is one of the main accused in the case on genocide of the Ukrainian people in 1932-1933 the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has submitted to the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO), SBU chief Valentyn Nalyvaichenko said for the 5th Channel.

According to him, the Holodomor case also involves other USSR and Soviet Ukraine top officials.

“The materials and the verdict of guilty begin with Stalin. His surname is mentioned there, and his personal signature, and personal secret instructions, and everything related to preparation for committing genocide in our territory, and the crime itself, and its commitment from January 1933 till June 1933. Execution, control, personal control, personal instructions, personal sending of additional party leaders,” Nalyvaichenko said.

Ukraine launched the Holodomor investigation in March 2009.

The Ukrainian investigation established that genocide was committed by way of creating an artificial famine using such mechanisms as isolation of Ukraine's territory by special armed military units; inscription of districts and localities into the so-called 'black boards', blockade by troops, ban on people's movement outside the bounds of these areas, full seizure of foodstuffs and seed stocks, trade ban; restriction of free movement of peasants with the aim of looking for foodstuffs.

In the course of the investigation, Ukraine has received absolute evidences of committing crimes against humanity by the USSR top officials. Genocide in Ukraine in 1932-33 is proved by 3,685 Soviet classified documents, including with Joseph Stalin's signature, and many other papers, as well as 933 mass burial places of genocide victims.

According to different estimates, the Great Famine (Holodomor) took from 7 to 10 million lives in Ukraine, including around 4 million children, which was 25% of the country's population at that time.

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