The Director of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (ODIHR), Matteo Mecacci, said, on Wednesday 26 October, that Russia is not respecting the basic principles of international humanitarian law in its hostilities in Ukraine.
According to a report published in July, there is “credible evidence to assess that the conduct of hostilities by Russia was characterised by a general disregard for the basic principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution, as defined by international humanitarian law” he told the Parliament’ Sub-Committee on Human Rights. “This can constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity”, claimed the ODIHR Director.
Mr Mecacci said there were indications “to a more limited extent” that the Ukrainian armed forces had not respected certain rules of international humanitarian law in the conduct of hostilities.
Professor Veronika Bílková, who heads the Prague Centre for International Law, explained that according to reports from March and June 2022, most violations of human rights and international humanitarian law during the first four months of the conflict (February-June), such as attacks on civilians, torture of prisoners of war or violations of the right to life, were committed in the territories under Russian control, including the ‘People’s Republics’ of Donetsk and Lugansk.
According to Mr Mecacci, quoting the Ukrainian Prosecutor General, there could be 25,000 cases of war crimes and crimes against humanitarian law. Because of the large number of cases, “international justice has said that the focus will only be on major cases. It is important to have major coordination to ensure accountability and justice for victims of terrible human rights violations”, he warned. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)