Human Rights Watch accuses Russian forces of ‘clear war crimes’ in Ukraine According to Reuters
© Reuters. Local residents ride bicycles past civilian vehicles that were flattened as Russia’s assault on Ukraine continues, on a street in the town of Bucha, Kyiv region, Ukraine April 1, 2022. REUTERS / Oleksandr Ratushniak
By Stephen Farrell
LVIV, Ukraine (Reuters) – A leading human rights group said on Sunday it had documented what it described as “clear war crimes” perpetrated by Russian military forces against civilians in Syria. Ukraine.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a statement saying it had detected “several instances of Russian military force violations of the law of war” in Russian-controlled regions such as Chernihiv, Kharkiv and Kyiv.
The statement, published in Warsaw, came a day after dead civilians were found scattered across the streets of the Ukrainian town of Bucha, three days after Russian troops withdrew after a month of occupation. Closed area 30 km (20 miles). ) northwest of Kyiv.
The Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow did not immediately respond to a request for comment when asked Sunday about the bodies found in Bucha and the HRW statement.
The Kremlin says its “special military operation” is aimed at weakening the Ukrainian armed forces and targeting military facilities and not to carry out attacks on civilians.
Asked about the separate war crime charges on March 1, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said during a meeting with reporters: “We categorically deny this.” He denied accusations of Russian airstrikes on civilian targets and the use of fake bombs and vacuum bombs.
Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on March 21 that the Russian operation was being carried out by professional and well-armed forces, and denied Ukraine’s claim that Russian forces had attacked illegally. any civilian object.
New York-based HRW mentioned Bucha in its statement, in which it said it interviewed 10 people, including witnesses, victims and local residents, in person or by phone, and Some people are afraid to give their full names.
Hugh Williamson, HRW’s Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, said: “The cases we have documented are intentional cruelty and unspeakable violence against Ukrainian civilians.
“Rape, murder and other acts of violence against persons detained by Russian forces should be investigated as war crimes.”
These, it said, included a case of repeated rape; two summary executions – one in six men – and other cases of unlawful violence and intimidation against civilians between February 27 and March 14, 2022.
The report said: “Soldiers are also implicated in the looting of civilian property, including food, clothing and firewood. Those who commit these abuses are held accountable for war crimes “.
Reuters was unable to verify the HRW evidence immediately.
Reuters journalists visited Bucha on Saturday, after being approached by Ukrainian forces, who had recaptured the area, and saw unarmed bodies littered the streets.
HRW said that on March 4, Russian forces in Bucha “rounded five men and briefly executed one of them.”
The report said that, northeast of Kyiv in the Chernihiv region, Russian forces in Staryi Bykiv rounded up at least six men on February 27, then executed them. It quoted the mother of one of the men, who said she was nearby when her son was arrested and who later saw the bodies of all six men.
HRW said all parties to the armed conflict in Ukraine have an obligation to abide by international law and the law of war.
“Russia has an international legal obligation to objectively investigate alleged war crimes committed by its troops,” Williamson said.
