The lower house of Russia’s parliament passed a bill that would allow effective immunity for certain crimes committed in occupied territories of Ukraine in violation of Russia’s international legal obligations, Human Rights Watch denounced Tuesday.
This bill, which the State Duma (parliament) unanimously approved in first reading on December 13, aims to impose the Russian Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code in the Russian-occupied territories of Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporijia and Kherson.
“This mandates the dismissal of criminal proceedings and the annulment of convictions against those who committed crimes before September 30 while acting ‘in the interest of the Russian Federation’ in these regions. These crimes are believed to include war crimes and gross human rights violations, and would concern the Russian authorities and their lawyers”emphasized this non-governmental organization in a statement.
To become law, it awaits second and third readings, approval by the Federation Council, the upper house of parliament and signature by President Vladimir Putin.
“The new law proposed by Russia would guarantee domestic impunity for Russian authorities and their representatives who committed war crimes and serious abuses in the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine.” emphasized Rachel Denber, Human Rights Watch’s deputy director for Europe and Central Asia, quoted in the press release.
If passed, this law would also deny compensation to those illegally processed in Russian-occupied territories, he added.
In September, Putin signed the annexation treaties of the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporijia, despite international and Ukrainian condemnation and after holding “referenda” in these areas, which are also considered illegal by the West.
As with the alleged referendum in Russian-occupied Crimea in 2014, these exercises have no legal value and do not provide a basis for annexation or transfer of sovereignty, HRW stressed, adding that Russia “remains an occupying power in these regions under the Fourth Geneva Convention, which continues to protect the civilian population”.
Human Rights Watch has documented numerous serious violations of international law by Russian forces and their proxies in the occupied territories of Ukraine, including apparent war crimes, human rights violations and possible crimes against humanity, notably torture, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, violence and sexual violence and forced transfer of civilians.
This bill violates Russia’s obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law, as well as Article 64 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which provides that in situations of occupation, criminal law and other local laws, with rare exceptions, shall apply. remain in force, or Article 2 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees redress against anyone whose rights have been violated, including through the courts, this NGO added.
The military offensive launched by Russia on February 24 and still ongoing has already resulted in more than 14 million people being displaced, both inside and outside Ukraine.
The UN presented 6,755 civilian deaths and 10,607 wounded as confirmed since the start of the war, underlining that these numbers are far below the real ones.
Source: DN
