- The international community must adopt a robust plan to address the demands for justice of the victims of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
The international community must adopt a solid plan that guarantees justice for the victims of war of Russian aggression against Ukraine, Amnesty International said today marking the first anniversary of the invasion.
On February 24, 2022, the Russian armed forces launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which Amnesty International described as “an act of aggression and a catastrophe for human rights”. Since then, Russian forces have committed war crimes and other violations of international humanitarian law, including extrajudicial executions, deadly attacks on civilian infrastructure y places of refuge, deportations and forced transfers of civiliansy large-scale unlawful killings committed by bombing cities.
As the invasion continues and the full extent of the crimes committed in Ukraine remain unknown, demands for justice and the rights of victims and survivors must be given priority. The international community has a clear duty to ensure that those responsible for crimes under international law know that accountability and justice will trump impunity.
“While the Russian armed forces appear to be intensifying their offensive in Ukraine, the commitment to hold accountable all those responsible for human rights violations and war crimes is more urgent than ever”, declared Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International.
Since the start of the conflict, Amnesty International has documented war crimes, including targeted attacks on essential civilian infrastructure and the blocking of humanitarian aid to civilians. In conflict-affected areas, the civilian population has been exposed to constant attacks and has often been deprived of water, electricity and heating. Many people living in Russian-occupied areas who continue to need humanitarian aid or urgent medical attention are denied the right to travel to Ukrainian government-controlled territories.
“The people of Ukraine have suffered unimaginable horrors in this aggressive war for the past 12 months. Let’s say it clearly: the hands of Vladimir Putin and his armed forces are stained with blood. The surviving people deserve justice and reparation for all they have endured. The international community must stand firm to see it through to the end and for justice to be done. A year has now passed and it is clear beyond a doubt that more needs to be done.”
have already been denounced tens of thousands of war crimes casesincluding sexual and gender-based crimes, but the number of victims of the ongoing conflict will be much higher.
Rights and needs of victims
“After the conflict broke out, countless human beings have been reduced to collateral damage. He A mortar strike not only tears apart the body, but also wipes out livelihoods, destroys essential infrastructure and leaves many people unable to exist in the rubble of their previous lives,” he said. Agnès Callamard.
The immediate response to the conflict has been encouraging, including several national and international investigations into crimes under international law committed in Ukraine, but justice Comprehensive justice for Ukraine will only be achieved when justice and meaningful reparations are provided to the victims, and this requires strong and sustained support from the international community for existing justice mechanisms.
New national and international mechanisms for more comprehensive justice should also be considered. In this regard, the March 2022 decision of the Human Rights Council to create an independent commission of inquiry on Ukraine has been welcomed. Ultimately, such mechanisms could strengthen the international justice response to the large number of war crimes cases, as well as the crime of aggression, which the ICC, due to its jurisdictional limitations, cannot investigate as such.
“In addition to ensuring that appropriate mechanisms are in place, we must ensure that those responsible for crimes under international law are brought to justice and face the consequences of their inadmissible acts, including investigating senior military commanders and civilian leaders in connection with the crimes. of war and the crime of aggression in application of international law”, stated Agnès Callamard.
Putting these types of causes on their feet is complex, but it is essential that investigations take into account not only the direct low-level perpetrators, but also those who are higher up the chain of command. Regardless of where trials are held, they must respect international human rights and fair trial standards, and give full participation and consideration to survivors and their needs.
“We are witnessing in all corners of the world wars that inflict untold suffering on civilian populations, and this principle must become a model for all conflicts. The unprecedented initial response from the international community, including the work of the International Criminal Court, must be the minimum standard in the search for international justice,” said Agnès Callamard.
Continued coordination and commitment are the only way
“Amnesty International and other civil society groups have repeatedly called for people to come together to act collectively for the common good. And in this case more than ever. All institutions and authorities pursuing international justice must collaborate to share ideas and coordinate strategies, but also to address knowledge and capacity gaps. This is not the time to work in isolation,” he said. Agnès Callamard.
The international community must support fair, effective and impartial investigations, and States should urge Ukraine to ratify the Rome Statute —adapting their national legislation to international legal norms related to international justice— and to strengthen cooperation with the ICC. Finally, justice for Ukraine requires countries with universal jurisdiction statutes to explore how they can put them at the service of justice for the Ukrainian people.
Need for humanitarian support
In offering support, the international community must identify the specific needs of groups at risk, such as women, the elderly, people with disabilities and children, and bear in mind that many Ukrainians, including boys and girls, have been deported from Ukraine to Russia or forcibly transferred to Russian-occupied areas and cannot return home safely. These specific groups must be among the priorities, and any humanitarian assistance provided to them must be tailored to their specific needs.
It will also be essential to cooperate with Ukrainian civil society organizations to prioritize the needs of survivors and ensure the distribution of economic and humanitarian aid. The international community must ensure that this collaboration is done in a way that ensures transparency, effectiveness and sensitivity towards victims in all processes focused on humanitarian aid, recovery, justice and reparation.
In the words of Agnès Callamard, “recognizing the immense physical, psychological and economic damage inflicted on the civilian population of Ukraine over the past year is essential to guarantee justice and reparation to the survivors and victims of Russian aggression in Ukraine”.
Calls for accountability
Since 2014 and after the start of the large-scale Russian invasion, Amnesty International has been working for accountability in Ukraine and has documented war crimes and other violations of international humanitarian law.Here You will find all the materials published by the organization to date.