From: 04/21/2022 17:26
According to the human rights organization Human Rights Watch, atrocities allegedly committed by Russian soldiers in the Ukrainian city of Bucha are classified as war crimes.
The human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) says it has collected extensive evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Bucha, Ukraine. According to a report by the organization, local officials documented mass executions, indiscriminate shootings of civilians, disappearances and torture, and the use of booby-traps.
“Almost every corner of Bucha is now a crime scene, and it felt like death was everywhere,” said Richard Weir, an HRW employee. Evidence indicated that the now-withdrawn Russian forces occupying the Bush “disregarded civilian life and the most basic principles of martial law”.
researches and recordings
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. According to Human Rights Watch, Ukraine’s prosecutor for the region, Ruslan Kravchenko, said that 278 bodies, mostly civilians, were found in Bucha on April 15, following the withdrawal of Russian troops on March 31. More dead would be discovered.
Images of Ukrainian civilians killed on the outskirts of the capital Kiev sparked global outrage 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.
hope for a legal deal
HRW emphasized that official protection of evidence with international assistance is crucial in order to be able to hold those responsible to account. She asked Ukraine to ratify the International Criminal Court treaty and become a formal member of the court in The Hague.
Human Rights Watch: Evidence of War Crimes in Butcha
Antje Passenheim, ARD New York, April 21, 2022 5:47 pm
conflicting parties as source
Information on the course of the war, bombing and casualties provided by official bodies of the Russian and Ukrainian parties to the conflict cannot be directly verified by an independent body in the current situation.