Quotes of the day 8th August 2022

Following on from my article last night about Moscow and Amnesty, I thought it would provide some helpful balance after the extensive and selective quoting of what Amnesty wrote suggesting that Ukrainian troops had been posted in residential areas, if I were to quote some of the things Amnesty International has also written about war crimes and human rights violations by Russia.

"The invasion has triggered a huge human rights, humanitarian, & displacement crisis that has the makings of the worst such catastrophe in recent European history. Russia is breaching the sovereignty of Ukraine & challenging the global security architecture."

Agnes Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International.

"The people of Kharkiv have faced a relentless barrage of indiscriminate attacks in recent months, which killed and injured hundreds of civilians"

Donatella Rovera, Amnesty International’s Senior Crisis Response Adviser

"This attack is yet another example of the Russian military’s utter disregard for civilians in Ukraine."

Donatella Rovera, Amnesty International’s Senior Crisis Response Adviser, comments on Russian air strikes on an apartment block and beach resort hotel in the coastal town of Serhiivka in southern Ukraine which killed at least 21 civilians, following an on-the-ground investigation.

"The International Criminal Court, and all others with jurisdiction over crimes committed during this conflict, must investigate this attack as a war crime."

Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, commenting after an extensive investigation by Amnesty International concluded that Russian military forces committed a war crime when they struck the Mariupol drama theatre in Ukraine in March, killing at least dozen people and likely many more.

“This horrific assault is yet another apparent example of complete disregard for human life and dignity in Ukraine committed by Russian forces. All those suspected of criminal responsibility must be investigated and, if there is sufficient admissible evidence, prosecuted in fair trials before ordinary civilian courts and without recourse to death penalty.

“Since the start of Russia’s war on Ukraine, Amnesty International has documented crimes under international law, like summary killings of captives by Russia-backed separatist forces in eastern Ukraine and extrajudicial executions of Ukrainian civilians by Russian forces. 

“International law is clear: prisoners of war must not be subjected to any form of torture or ill-treatment, and should be given immediate access to the International Committee of the Red Cross. The relevant authorities must fully respect the rights of prisoners of war in accordance with the Geneva Conventions.”

Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Director, responds to a video which appears to show Russian solders committing a hideous atrocity against a Ukrainian prisoner of war.

“This is a blatant violation of international humanitarian law on so many counts.

“The three were members of the Ukrainian regular forces and under the Geneva Conventions, as prisoners of war, they are protected from prosecution for taking part in hostilities. The only exception is prosecution for alleged war crimes, in which case there must be sufficient admissible evidence, and fair trial standards must be ensured. Not only this is not the case in this scenario – they were not tried by an independent, impartial regularly constituted court but by Russian proxies. The so-called ‘charges’ against them would not constitute war crimes. And most outrageously of all, the taking of their lives as result of the grossly unfair proceedings would constitute arbitrary deprivation of life.

“In fact, wilfully depriving a prisoner of war or other protected person of the right to a fair and regular trial constitutes a war crime. Russia, as the occupying power, bears responsibility for the treatment of all prisoners of war and others deprived of their liberty. They must ensure this so-called ‘sentence’ is immediately quashed, and that these men are treated in full compliance with international humanitarian law.”

Denis Krivosheev, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, responding to the news that a separatist “court” in Russia-occupied Donetsk ordered the death of two captured two British nationals and a captured Moroccan national.

"As thousands of protesters take to the streets across Russia to denounce the war, the Kremlin remains hellbent on stifling state critics as it coerces domestic media into supporting its policies"

Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Director