A UN international commission investigating war crimes in Ukraine said on Thursday it had enough evidence to suggest that Russian authorities committed war crimes in Ukraine, as well as in Russia itself.
In addition, Russian forces committed crimes against humanity during the spate of attacks that began in October 2022 on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, as well as policymakers who endorsed the use of torture by the Russian military.
“The commission concluded that the Russian armed forces carried out explosive weapons attacks in populated areas with apparent disregard for the suffering and harm of civilians.” referred to the report, which was presented to the press today and will be submitted to the UN Human Rights Council next week.
During their research, members of the UN group (Erik Møse of Norway; Jasminka Dzumhur of Bosnia and Herzegovina; and Pablo de Greiff of Colombia) traveled to Ukraine eight times, visiting 56 cities and interviewing nearly 600 people. visiting destroyed sites, detention and torture centers, and witnessing all the remains of weapons and explosives scattered across the country.
The commission further stated that it had not observed any genocide in Ukraine since the Russian invasion of the country, but recommended further investigation into the matter.
“We have not established that a genocide has taken place in Ukraine,” Erik Møse, one of three experts who led the investigation, told reporters.
However, Mose noted “certain aspects may raise questions about this type of crime”.
As Russian troops moved into Ukrainian territory, the deaths of civilians unrelated to the hostilities increased, as did their detention and confinement in facilities built for the purpose in occupied Ukraine and Russia, the document said.
In these places, beatings quickly turned into torture for trivial reasons such as “speaking Ukrainian” or “not remembering the words of the Russian national anthem”. Russian soldiers broke into private homes and committed sexual violence or threatened to use it against women and men.
Of the children deported to Russian territory, witnesses heard by the commission indicated that the youngest may have permanently lost contact with their families.
On the other hand, the commission’s investigation has also made it possible to establish that the invasion of Russia and the attacks on Ukraine may constitute an act of aggression, which can be investigated and the International Criminal Court (ICC) can initiate legal proceedings. start.
The commission also investigated human rights violations and excesses committed by Ukrainian troops, although it found “a small number of violations” in this case, notably two incidents where Russian soldiers were injured, tortured or shot, “that could be classified as war crimes”. .
From their interviews, the commissioners concluded that the greatest wish of the Ukrainian people, and in particular the victims of atrocities, is for justice to be served and those responsible – including the masterminds – to be brought to justice, nationally or internationally.
“What is needed is an approach to accountability that encompasses both criminal responsibility and victims’ rights to truth, reparation and non-repetition,” the report said.
Source: DN
