In . – 04/21/2022 15:42 (act 04/21/2022 16:01)
Bucha’s atrocities are believed to be war crimes, according to HRW ©REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra
According to the human rights organization Human Rights Watch, war crimes were committed in Bucha. Nearly 40 residents were interviewed for the investigation.
“Almost every corner of Bucha is now a crime scene, and it felt like death was everywhere,” said Richard Weir, an employee at Human Rights Watch.
Evidence indicated that the now-withdrawn Russian forces occupying the Bush “disregarded civilian life and the most basic principles of martial law”.
“Extensive evidence” of war crimes in Bucha
The organization’s investigators found “extensive evidence of summary executions, other unlawful killings, enforced disappearances and torture that would constitute war crimes and potential crimes against humanity,” HRW in New York said on Thursday.
For their investigations, human rights activists personally interviewed 32 city residents and five others by telephone. In addition, evidence was documented at the site and photos and videos, as well as satellite imagery, were viewed.
More than 400 bodies discovered in Bucha
Images of Ukrainian civilians killed on the outskirts of the capital Kiev caused horror across the world earlier this month. A total of more than 400 bodies were found in Bucha, some with their hands tied behind their backs. The Ukrainian secret service spoke of “mass murder”. Russia denies having anything to do with the atrocities. International investigations are ongoing. There are numerous calls for those responsible to be brought to an international court.