Russia’s assault on Ukraine has included “clear patterns” of violations of international humanitarian law, an investigation team sanctioned by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said on Wednesday.
The OSCE report also found “credible evidence” of fundamental human rights violations in areas of Ukraine that were largely under Russian control.
The report found evidence of torture, murder, and inhuman and degrading treatment of people.
He said he had found some evidence of misbehavior by the Ukrainian forces, including the way it has treated prisoners of war, but said “the violations committed by the Russian Federation, however, are far greater in nature and scale”.
President Biden said on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had committed genocide in Ukraine, echoing an accusation made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The OSCE report marks one of the first published investigations into the atrocities taking place in Ukraine. The document will be available to judicial bodies whose objective is to prosecute violators of international humanitarian law.
The report found that Russia had deliberately attacked a maternity hospital in Mariupol on March 9, without offering any warning. He called it a “clear violation” of international humanitarian law and a war crime.
The report also cites a March 16 attack on a theater theater in Mariupol, where as many as 1,300 people were seeking shelter. Both sides of the theater were clearly marked “boys” to discourage an attack. Three hundred people died in the strike.
US Ambassador to the OSCE Michael Carpenter said in a statement Wednesday that the report “documents the catalog of inhumane acts perpetrated by Russian forces in Ukraine.” He also expressed concern that “Russian atrocities continue even after the conclusion of this report.”
The OSCE is made up of 68 nations, including European countries, Russia, and participating states such as the US.
The body’s majority voted on March 3 to launch an independent investigation under the auspices of the “Moscow Mechanism,” a measure established in 1991 to investigate and document allegations of violations of humanitarian law and war crimes taking place in states. members.
The report notes that Russia’s representative to the OSCE refused to participate in the investigation, calling the Moscow Mechanism “largely outdated and redundant,” the researchers wrote.
The report only covers a three-week period, between March 15 and April 5, and does not include atrocities uncovered in cities and towns around kyiv following the withdrawal of Russian forces, including evidence of executions. extrajudicial acts, torture and rape. The report also does not include an alleged Russian attack on a train station in Kramatorsk on April 8, where an estimated 57 civilians were killed as they tried to flee the city.
Carpenter, in his remarks, raised concerns about new allegations that Russia may have or is preparing to deploy chemical weapons as part of its attack.
“Now we must urgently gather the evidence to ensure accountability for what could very well be another war crime in Ukraine,” the ambassador said.
The United States has not confirmed allegations by Ukrainian forces in Mariupol that Russia has deployed chemical weapons, but said it has received credible reports and is investigating whether Russian forces used tear gas containing chemical agents to cause strong symptoms and incapacitate forces. ukrainian
Reference-thehill.com