Tortured Ukrainian children
UN investigators find evidence of Russian war crimes
09/24/2022 01:14 am
This step is unusual: UN investigators confirm allegations of war crimes against Ukraine without consulting a court. There is clear evidence of this. The deeds are a “catalog of cruelty,” and children also fell victim to Russian soldiers.
UN investigators have found numerous war crimes in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. “On the basis of the (…) collected evidence, the Commission has come to the conclusion that war crimes were committed in Ukraine,” Erik Mose, head of the Commission of Inquiry into Human Rights Violations in Ukraine, told the UN Human Rights Council.
Moses added that there was evidence of numerous executions of people with their hands tied behind their backs, children being raped and tortured. According to investigators, there have been acts of sexual and gender-based violence by Russian soldiers, and in some cases relatives have been forced to witness the crimes.
The rapid classification as a war crime without a court being involved is unusual. However, according to the three-person independent team of experts, the evidence is clear. However, it is not yet possible to say whether the acts are crimes against humanity.
“Catalog of Cruelty”
So far, investigators have only investigated cases in the Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv and Sumy regions. They visited 27 cities, interviewed more than 150 victims and witnesses, and examined graves, places of detention and torture, and remains of weapons, among other things.
Moses told reporters that investigators had also “processed two incidents of mistreatment of Russian Federation soldiers by Ukrainian forces.”
Looking ahead, Moses announced the team would widen the investigation to include so-called filtration camps, alleged forced displacement and alleged Ukrainian children taken to Russia for adoption.
On Thursday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres had already raised serious allegations against Russia at a meeting of the UN Security Council. Citing UN human rights reports, he spoke of a “catalog of cruelty,” of “extrajudicial executions, sexual violence, torture and other inhuman and degrading treatment of civilians and prisoners of war.” “All of these allegations must be carefully investigated to ensure accountability,” the UN Secretary-General said.