Geneva (EFE) Russia itself, including sexual violence and deportation of children.
In addition, Russian combat forces have perpetrated crimes against humanity in the wave of attacks that began in October 2022 against energy infrastructure, as have policy makers in validating the use of torture.
“The commission has concluded that the Russian armed forces have perpetrated attacks with explosive weapons in populated areas with apparent disregard for the suffering and harm to civilians,” he says in the report that he will present next week to the UN Human Rights Council and that he presented to the press today.
As Russian forces advanced into Ukrainian territory, the killings of civilians who had nothing to do with the hostilities multiplied, as well as their detention and confinement in facilities built for this purpose both in occupied Ukraine and in Russia, according to the report. document.
In those places, mistreatment quickly turned into torture for reasons as trivial as “speaking Ukrainian” or “can’t remember the words of the Russian anthem”, while outside of them raids by Russian soldiers on private homes led to sexual violence or the threat of using it against women and men.
Of the children deported to Russian territory, the witnesses interviewed by the commission have indicated that the youngest may have permanently lost contact with their families.
Offenses that can be tried at the International Criminal Court
On the other hand, the commission’s investigations have also allowed it to establish that Russia’s invasion and attacks against Ukraine can constitute an act of aggression, which can be investigated and for which the International Criminal Court can open a case.
In the course of their investigation, the members of the UN group (Erik Møse, from Norway; Jasminka Džumhur, from Bosnia and Herzegovina; and Pablo de Greiff, from Colombia) traveled eight times to Ukraine, visiting 56 cities and interviewing close to than 600 people, in addition to visiting destroyed places, detention and torture centers, and witnessing all the remains of weapons and explosives that have been scattered.
The commission has also investigated human rights violations and excesses committed by Ukrainian forces, although in this case they found “a small number of violations”, in particular two incidents in which Russian soldiers were injured, tortured or shot at. , “what qualifies as war crimes.”
From their interviews, the commissioners drew the conclusion that the greatest desire of the Ukrainian population, and in particular of the victims of atrocities, is for justice to be done and for those responsible – including intellectuals – to be brought to justice, be they national or international. .
“What is called for is an accountability approach that includes both criminal responsibility and the right of victims to truth, reparation and non-repetition,” the report states.