Petition · past parliament · Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
The Government should recognise the Holodomor as genocide
Closed
67 signatures
What the petition asks
The Holodomor was the death of at least 3.9 million Ukrainian people from 1932-33 as a result of policies implemented by the Soviet Union.
This petition only calls for the UK Government to recognise the status of the Holodomor as genocide, not for retribution.
The UK Government has claimed that the Genocide Convention cannot be retroactively applied. However, this only applies to the punishment of a crime not previously specified in law, not whether the crime can still be applied to the event.
The Soviet Union Government of the day are dead, as is the Soviet Union itself, so cannot be punished for what they did.
It can, however, be recognised in law that the Holodomor was a genocide of the Ukrainian people through the deliberate policies of the Soviet Union.
The UK Government has claimed that the Genocide Convention cannot be retroactively applied. However, this only applies to the punishment of a crime not previously specified in law, not whether the crime can still be applied to the event.
The Soviet Union Government of the day are dead, as is the Soviet Union itself, so cannot be punished for what they did.
It can, however, be recognised in law that the Holodomor was a genocide of the Ukrainian people through the deliberate policies of the Soviet Union.
Timeline
| 17 Nov 2021 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 17 May 2022 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
67
Status
Closed
Department
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Opened
17 Nov 2021
Closed
17 May 2022
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.