In a speech in Strasbourg, Sir Edward Leigh has condemned war crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine and called for their perpetrators to be brought to justice.
The Conservative MP for Gainsborough, speaking at the Council of Europe, said there is "no doubt that there have been numerous atrocities against civilians".
"There has been great, egregious cruelty to civilians, including sexual violence, shooting in the head, cutting of throats," the MP said. "It is appalling and those who perpetrate this war must be brought to justice by an international independent tribunal for the crime of aggression."
"It seems that this Russian aggression has no understanding or fear of the Geneva Convention or anything else. These people must be brought to task."
Sir Edward called for an international criminal tribunal to be established to try those who have committed crimes in Ukraine.
Sir Edward's speech can be watched here and the text is reproduced below.
President, it is an honour to open this debate on behalf of my group and it is even more of an honour to follow the last speech, which was truly inspiring. It almost bought a tear to our eyes when we heard of that poor farmer. To the world, he may have been a farmer but to his family, he was the universe. And this explains the appalling, emotional and cruel impact of this war.
And the other phrase that we heard in that inspiring speech was that Putin, in reality, is not afraid of NATO. That is a lie. He is afraid of the concept of freedom. And that is what this Council of Europe is all about: justice and freedom and human rights.
There is no doubt that there have been numerous atrocities against civilians. The United Nations Independent Monitoring Commission, under Erik Møse, the independent Norwegian judge, visited many towns and villages. There has been great, egregious cruelty to civilians, including sexual violence, shooting in the head, cutting of throats. It is appalling and those who perpetrate this war must be brought to justice by an international independent tribunal for the crime of aggression.
As we heard from our rapporteur at the beginning of this debate, over the last 150 years, we have tried to tame the brutality of war with mechanisms such as a Geneva Convention, but it seems that this Russian aggression has no understanding or fear of the Geneva Convention or anything else. These people must be brought to task.
Of course, Europe must put it – it must do what it must do. It must send the tanks; it must do all it can. We in this Council cannot send any tanks; we only have our voice, but surely a voice is loud enough. And we have to proclaim that voice loudly. That this is an old-style war of aggression. It is not about fear of NATO or anything else, it is simply trying to recreate the Russian Empire. Well, the Russian Empire is over. The era of empires is over. The British Empire is over, the French Empire is over, the Turkish Empire is over. This is now the era of freedom and independent nations who want their own sovereignty and that is all that Ukraine asks for.
And that is what we should give them: support. So when we say, "Long live Ukraine" we are not talking about nationalism, we are saying, "Long live freedom and humanity".
And I hope you will forgive me if I quote Winston Churchill, who said, in 1941, and this could be said of Ukraine now, "Humanity with all its fears, with all its hopes of future years, is hanging breathless on thy fate."
