The UN denounces nearly 300 summary executions of civilians at the hands of Russian forces in Ukraine

MADRID, 29 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The United Nations has denounced this Wednesday "summary executions of civilians" at the hands of Russian forces in the framework of the invasion of Ukraine, triggered on February 24, and has pointed out that to date it has received information on more than 300 incidents of this type in the areas occupied by Russian troops.

"The daily murder of civilians, torture, disappearances and other violations must end. If the hostilities do not stop, the minimum required is to fully respect Humanitarian Law and commit to protecting all civilian women, men and children and those who are not fighting," said the head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU), Matilda Bogner.

The report, which covers the period between February 24 and May 15, includes a "serious deterioration in the human rights situation in the country", with a total of 10,000 civilian victims, including 4,731 deaths. "Civilians continue to bear the burden of hostilities," Bogner lamented.

In this sense, the document states that the summary executions would have taken place in more than 30 settlements in the kyiv, Chernigov, Kharkov and Sumy regions between February and March, while warning that the real figure could increase while more are collected. tests. In the city of Bucha, the executions of at least 50 civilians have been documented, while cases of torture and ill-treatment of civilians have also been recorded.

The report also contemplates violations of the rules of war, including the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution, which have increased the number of civilian victims and damage to civilian objects. Thus, it emphasizes that these rules "were not respected on numerous occasions by the Russian forces, and to a lesser extent by the Ukrainian forces."

Likewise, it highlights that both parties have violated Humanitarian Law in the treatment of prisoners of war and non-combatants, including cases of extrajudicial executions, torture, mistreatment, denial of medical assistance, exposure to public attention and violations related to the conditions of his detention.

"I underline that the prohibition of torture and arbitrary deprivation of life is absolute and applies at all times and to all persons, whether civilians or combatants", explained Bogner, who has emphasized that "those responsible must be held accountable". accounts and the victims and their families must enjoy their rights to remedy and truth".

On the other hand, the report indicates that the Russian offensive has been marked by cases of sexual violence associated with the conflict, with 23 verified cases of sexual violence, including rape, gang rape, torture, forced nudity in public and threats of sexual violence, with most cases in areas controlled by Russian forces but also cases committed in areas controlled by Ukrainian authorities.

"Due to active hostilities, insecurity, mass displacement and stigma, victims of conflict-related sexual violence are often unable or unwilling to speak with others or register a complaint with the authorities. Understanding the full scale of the violence in this context could take years," Bogner stressed.

The document also reflects 248 cases of arbitrary arrests of local representatives, journalists, activists and civilians, many of which amount to forced disappearances, attributed to the Russian Armed Forces and to armed groups from the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Lugansk (east), whose independence was recognized by the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, days before the start of the offensive.

The UN investigation mission has detailed that a total of these six victims were later found dead and has added that it has also documented twelve cases that could amount to forced disappearances by the Ukrainian authorities, in this case of people suspected of giving support for the Russian Army and the forces of the separatist republics.

Along these lines, the report also confirms the complaints about the forced recruitment of men in the self-proclaimed republics and highlights that the freedoms of opinion, expression, assembly and association have been "drastically" affected by the war, especially given the risks run by the journalists and media workers in Ukraine.

The document reflects that 17 journalists, media workers and bloggers have died during the war, while "many" activists have been unable to carry out their work due to hostilities and displacement. In addition, the report reflects the impact of hostilities on the rights of people in vulnerable situations, including displaced people, Roma, the elderly and people with disabilities.

"The parties must guarantee adequate and effective investigations into all allegations of violations, including torture, ill-treatment, arbitrary detention and sexual violence, and guarantee that those responsible are duly tried," Bogner concluded.