In Ukraine, amidst a full-scale war, the process of restoring justice and historical truth regarding those who were repressed by the communist regime between 1917 and 1991 is continuing. 

The National Commission for Rehabilitation, which operates under the auspices of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance, has the authority to decide whether to rrecognizeindividuals as rehabilitated or as victims of repression. Every year, the Commission restores the good nnamesand dignity of hundreds of people who were unlawfully convicted and repressed. However, given the conflict between modern legal standards and the materials of criminal cases compiled in accordance with the principles of punitive justice, the rehabilitation of certain individuals who fought for Ukraine’s freedom, namely political prisoners, is formally impossible.

How can the spirit and the letter of the law be brought into line with one another as regards political prisoners, and why is it important for Ukraine to rehabilitate every man and woman who has been unjustly convicted?