Russians Beat the Democrats to the Punch: Plan Nuremberg Trial for Georgian President

The Democrats have begun beating the drums for Nuremberg style trials for members of the Bush administration. Accusing them of war crimes, the Left is anxious to see Bush, Cheney, Yoo, Rove and other members of the administration in the dock. We don’t know if execution is their objective, but you can be sure that it isn’t exoneration.

A poster MarkField at the Volokh Conspiracy has suggested a way of pulling this off:

As one who strongly favors prosecution, I think your sense of the public reaction is very likely correct. For that reason, I think it's important to begin slowly with the least sympathetic defendants and develop the evidence in some detail. As public disgust builds, so will the desire to see punishment inflicted.

Perhaps they can watch how the Russians plan to do it and take notes.

From Fred Kagan via National Review this is how they plan to take care of the Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili:

• Russian leaders repeatedly say that they will not deal with Saakashvili.
• The Russian Attorney General has announced that Russian law permits the trial of Saakashvili for crimes under the Russian Federation Criminal Code.
• The Russian Foreign Minister has called for an investigation of Georgian war crimes and the punishment of those ultimately responsible by international tribunals, and has said that Russian citizens victimized by Georgians will be bringing individual actions in appropriate European human rights courts.
• The Russian aim is to force Saakashvili from power, preferably using international legal maneuvers (a la Milosevic), but possibly using Russian law instead or in addition

Having already declared Bush responsible for the Russia – Georgia war, this will add to the list of indictments the Democrats have planned.

Totalitarian minds think alike.