The Ukrainian Parliament’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Liudmyla Denisova, said on Tuesday 29 March, during a visit to Brussels, that there were “war crimes every minute in Ukraine” (see EUROPE 12912/2).
Ms Denisova said that Mariupol was experiencing a “genocide” as 90% of the buildings in the city have been destroyed and 260,000 people are still living there.
The Commissioner also denounced the use of banned weapons, such as phosphorus bombs and anti-personnel mines, as a “crime against humanity”. She also cited the fact that Russian forces are taking Ukrainian uniforms and pretending to be Ukrainian soldiers, which is prohibited. The Commissioner also denounced the deportation of Ukrainians to Russia even before the war began.
In addition, according to Ms Denisova, the Ukrainian Prosecutor’s Office has begun an investigation into the deaths of 141 children. These deaths occurred mainly in three regions: Donbass, notably Mariupol, the Kyiv region and the Kharkiv region.
While recognising the importance of the adoption on 2 March of a resolution by 141 votes in the UN General Assembly condemning Russian aggression (see EUROPE 12903/8), Ms Denisova said that this would not stop Russian President Vladimir Putin. She called on the international community not to repeat the mistakes made during the illegal annexation of Crimea and the start of the conflict in Donbass. “Eight years of ‘deep concern’ that have taken the lives of 40,000 Ukrainians”, she said.
Ms Denisova called on the international community to provide her country with weapons, including aircraft, “to stop the enemy”, recalling that “the enemy is 30 km from Kyiv”, and to adopt additional sanctions. “Light will prevail over darkness”, she concluded. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)