British MPs, Peers, and campaigners back renewed calls for Russia to be designated a state sponsor of terrorism
Photo: armyinform.com.ua
NGO UK Friends of Ukraine published a major report highlighting Russian attacks and launched a campaign to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.
MPs, Peers, and campaigners have come together to back a campaign by the UK Friends of Ukraine, Rubryka reports.
It follows deliberate and persistent bombardments of civilian targets in cities across Ukraine during the Christmas and New Year period that destroyed hundreds of homes and murdered many. These include some of the biggest attacks in terms of missiles since the start of the war, with dozens of hypersonic Kinzhal missiles that have murdered civilians in Kyiv and other major cities.
13 MPs and five Peers have now signed a joint letter to the UK Foreign Secretary James Cameron, calling on him to review the case for designating Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.
A grassroots campaign by the UK Friends of Ukraine has also been launched, with a petition aiming to show public support and pressure the UK Government to make the UK the first G7 nation to formally designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.
The initiative's launch follows the UK Government's decision in September 2023 to proscribe the Wagner Group as a terrorist organization. The Wagner Group is a Russian-state-controlled mercenary organization that has committed barbaric acts both in Ukraine and in at least six African countries, including Mali, Libya, Sudan, and the Central African Republic.
Since the death of its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, when Wagner fighters were assimilated into the command structure of the Russian military, it now acts fully as the terrorist arm of the Russian state. Labour MP and Co-Chair of the Ukraine APPG Alex Sobel said:
"Russia poses a threat to the stability of the whole world and isn't just acting in Ukraine but destabilizing nations and fomenting conflict in every continent. The UK Government must take global leadership by designating Russia a state sponsor of terrorism as part of a concerted and renewed global opposition to Russia's continued war in Ukraine."
The campaign is being backed by human rights activist Peter Tatchell, who has supported numerous campaigns against Russian war crimes and human rights abuses for many years. Peter Tatchell said:
"What we are witnessing today in Ukraine is state terrorism by Russia. Its military is bombing civilian areas and infrastructure, including apartment blocks, hospitals, schools, churches, and supermarkets. These are war crimes that echo what the Nazis did in Ukraine during the Second World War. I urge the UK Government to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism."
Alongside the letter and petition, the UK Friends of Ukraine has published a report, 'Why Russia is a terrorist state.' It documents thousands of acts of terrorism that the Russian state has committed.
The report, among other things, shares the statistics as of January 11, 2024, provided by the UK Government, which is conclusive evidence of Russian state terrorism:
- 10,200 civilians murdered;
- 520 children were murdered, and a further 1,200 were injured;
- 19,300 civilians injured;
- 167,200 civilian buildings destroyed;
- 123,201 war crimes registered.
Actual numbers might be considerably higher, as information from many locations with intense hostilities or occupied by Russia is not yet available or confirmed. These numbers are constantly rising as there is no end to Russian terrorism.
Alex Rennie, UK Friends of Ukraine Director and Leader of Havant Borough Council, said:
"The war crimes in Ukraine since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022 and for over nine years since it occupied the Crimea territory of Ukraine is beyond evil. It is based on indiscriminate bombing, destruction on an industrial scale, and sustained acts of terrorism, including the mass murder, mass kidnapping, and mass torture of the civilian population.
"We have aimed to bring together in one document the almost countless number of attacks that the citizens of Ukraine have suffered over the past decade. All across the UK, we know that people still support Ukraine, and by signing our petition, they can show their continued support for Ukraine and opposition to Russian state terrorism."
