Ivan Polyukhovich

Ivan Timofeyevich Polyukhovich (1924^[1]–1997) was an accused (and eventually acquitted) Ukrainian-Australian World War II war criminal. He was born at Serrniki, Pinsk.

Background

Following Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, some Ukrainians chose to collaborate with the Wehrmacht, including Polyukhovich, one of six siblings. He was employed by a forestry department and allegedly participated in the execution of about 850 people from the Jewish ghetto in Serniki in occupied Ukraine and further executions of civilians in the same area between August and September 1942.^[2][3] When the Germans retreated from Ukraine, Polyukhovich and his second wife Maria left with the German troops and later Polyukhovich was given work in Germany. On 28 December 1949, Polyukhovich, his wife Maria, and two step-daughters arrived in Melbourne, Australia. In 1958, they received Australian citizenship.^[2][3]

On 26 December 1986, the Adelaide Advertiser received a telex from the USSR outlining war crimes accusations against Polyukhovich. Limited examinations outside the town of Serniki of 533 selected crania confirmed that 410 of the men, women, and children exhumed had been shot in the head - see the Sernyky massacre. Polyukhovich denied all accusations of wrongdoing.^[2][3]

On 20 December 1988 Australia's federal parliament passed the War Crimes Amendment Bill which allows prosecutions against suspected European criminals in ordinary Australian civilian courts. On 25 January 1990 he was arrested and charged him with 24 counts of murder and complicity in 850 counts of murder.^[2][3]

Legal battle

See: Polyukhovich v Commonwealth In July 1990, Polyukhovich was shot and wounded on the eve of his trial. Two passersby found him near his home in stable condition.^[4]

On 3 September 1990 the High Court began hearing a challenge to the constitutional validity of the War Crimes Amendment Act itself. The primary question was whether in 1989 there was either an obligation under customary international law or a matter of international concern that war criminals from the pre-1945 years be sought out and tried for their offences. On 14 August 1991 the war crimes legislation was endorsed by the High Court.^[3][2]

高等裁判所によれば、「本法は、戦争犯罪および人道に対する罪の容疑者が、犯罪が行われた場所や容疑者が発見された場所、容疑者または被害者の国籍や居住地にかかわらず、捜索され、裁判にかけられ、有罪判決を受けた場合には処罰されるという国際的な義務を果たし、または国際的な懸念に応えるものである」としている。裁判所は、「オーストラリアが、国際法に違反し、普遍的管轄権に服することが国際平和と秩序に資するような犯罪を犯した者を裁き、処罰する管轄権を行使できないとすれば、オーストラリアの国際的人格は不完全であろう」と判決を下した。^{[3] [2]}

結論

1991年10月28日、検察はアデレード治安判事裁判所でポリウホヴィッチの公判を開始した。1992年6月5日、ポリウホヴィッチは6件の殺人罪で起訴され、残りの容疑は棄却された。1993年5月18日、被告を明確に特定する証拠と証言の提出が困難であったとして、陪審はポリウホヴィッチに全ての容疑について無罪を言い渡した。^{[3] [2] [5]}

参考文献

1. “Ivan Polyukhovich – TRIAL International”. trialinternational.org . 2016年7月6日時点のオリジナルよりアーカイブ。
2. プロフィール Archived 26 July 2019 at the Wayback Machine , trialinternational.org; accessed 21 August 2016.
3. プロフィール、internationalcrimesdatabase.org; 2016年8月21日にアクセス。
4. アーカイブ、latimes.com; 2016年8月21日にアクセス。
5. Keane, Daniel (2018年5月19日). 「ナチス戦争犯罪容疑者がオーストラリアの裁判所で無罪判決を受けた経緯」ABCニュース. 2025年5月23日閲覧。