Summary executions, torture, forced deportations and more. These are the “war crimes and potential crimes against humanity” in Bucha, the Ukrainian town occupied by the Russians in March. This was reported by Human Right Watch which collected the evidence during the mission conducted by a group of its researchers earlier this month and compiled a report. Read also The UN monitoring mission in Ukraine documented the summary execution of 50 people in Bucha. But the investigations that are showing that what happened in that town is not an isolated case. Human Right Watch: The report “There are several possible war crimes that have been committed, and their number suggests they could be crimes against humanity, which are widespread or systematic attacks on the population as part of a government policy” , said Richard Weir, a researcher with the US humanitarian association, who participated in the mission in Bucha. “The thing that struck me the most is that it was almost impossible to walk without meeting someone who had witnessed a possible war crime or had some family member who had been a victim of it – said Weir – or had had to bury a neighbor, a friend or family member near their home “. “The city has experienced an extraordinary amount of death and pain,” he says. Human Rights Watch documented nine summary executions in Bucha. “Summary executions – reads the report of the humanitarian association, which conducted a mission on the spot in search of evidence of war crimes – regardless of the victim’s status as a civilian, prisoner of war or captured fighter, are strictly prohibited and classified as crimes under international law and can be prosecuted as war crimes or crimes against humanity, depending on the context. “Human Rights Watch also documented seven cases of indiscriminate killings of civilians by Russian forces in Bucha, as well as two cases of civilians injured by Russian forces. “Under the circumstances – the report reads – the Russian forces may have opened fire without knowing if the person was a civilian. However, the occupation forces cannot assume that someone is a fighter or poses a threat, but must take measures. to distinguish between civilians and military targets. Indiscriminate killings and the indiscriminate use of force against civilians are prohibited by international law. “Victim-activated booby traps and anti-personnel mines were used in the town, the report reads. Human Rights Watch spoke with the head of the Ukrainian government’s demining unit for the Bucha region, Lieutenant Colonel Roman Shutylo, as well as the commander of the anti-tank brigade assisting in demining in Bucha, Ihor Ostrovsky, who both confirmed the use of booby traps and landmines Shutylo said on April 8, deminers found two dead bodies that were victims of booby traps activated by the same victims. In total, they found 20 victim-activated booby traps and anti-personnel mines, including those built with the F-1 and RGD-5 fragmentation hand grenades, as well as the MON-50, MON-100 and OZM-72 mines. in addition, evidence, regarding multiple locations in Bucha, that Russian soldiers ransacked and damaged homes, which in some cases were occupied, plundering supplies, personal effects, miscellaneous items including those of value such as household appliances, televisions and jewelry. During the mission carried out by the humanitarian organization in Bucha to investigate any evidence of war crimes, Human Rights Watch found Russian equipment and bloody bandages in the houses, as well as having recorded damage to property. Human Rights Watch found that Russian forces occupied the grounds of two schools. In one of these, “ample evidence” was found that Russian forces used it as an artillery firing post. The Declaration on Safe Schools, approved by Ukraine and 113 other countries, but not Russia, stipulates that school facilities must not be used for military purposes and that all necessary measures are taken to protect these buildings from attack.
UN The United Nations monitoring mission in Ukraine documented the summary execution of fifty people in Bucha, on the outskirts of Kiev. This was announced by the United Nations Human Rights Agency, underlining that the war in Ukraine is the ” horror story of violations against civilians ” where respect for international law has been ” set aside. ”. The investigations that the UN is conducting in Ukraine are showing that what happened in Bucha is not an isolated case and there are over 300 extrajudicial killings reported in the country. Among the violations documented by the UN monitoring mission there are also sexual violence. indiscriminate bombing of civilian areas and infrastructure and for the detention, ill-treatment, torture and even killing of civilians and prisoners of war by all parties to the conflict.