UN experts found evidence of russia's war crimes in Ukraine
Photo: Headquarters of the National Police in the Kharkiv region
A team of experts appointed by the UN's top human rights body to look into human rights abuses in Ukraine said its initial investigation found evidence of war crimes committed by the russians after the invasion of the country.
AP reports this.
It is noted that the Commission to investigate the situation in Ukraine, authorized by the UN Human Rights Council, has focused on collecting data in four regions of Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Sumy.
In presenting their findings, the UN experts cited the testimony of former prisoners about beatings, electric shocks, and forced undressing in russian detention centers. They also expressed grave concern about the executions in the four regions.
"We were struck by the large number of executions in the areas that we visited. The Commission is currently investigating such deaths in 16 towns and settlements," Erik Mose, the Commission's chairman, said.
He told UN Human Rights Council members that his team had received and documented "credible allegations regarding many more cases of executions."
Investigative commissions visited 27 cities and towns, interviewed more than 150 victims and witnesses, and met with advocacy groups and government officials, Mose said.
"Based on the evidence gathered by the commission, it has concluded that war crimes have been committed in Ukraine," he said.
Mose also said that the Commission documented an unspecified number of russian soldiers found to have committed crimes of sexual or gender-based violence–with victims ranging in age from 4 to 82 years old.
He noted that in the future, the Commission plans to gradually expand its investigation, covering testimony about filtration camps for the detention and deportation of people, forced resettlement of people, and allegations of accelerated adoption of children in the russian federation.
Read Rubryka's timeline of war: current news on Ukraine's defense against russia's aggression.
