Sunday, April 17, 2022

War Crimes of the Russian Soldiers

 

All parties to the armed conflict in Ukraine are obligated to abide by international humanitarian law, or the laws of war, including the Geneva Conventions of 1949, the First Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions, and customary international law. Belligerent armed forces that have effective control of an area are subject to the international law of occupation. International human rights law, which is applicable at all times, also applies.

 

The laws of war prohibit willful killing, rape and other sexual violence, torture, and inhumane treatment of captured combatants and civilians in custody. Pillage and looting are also prohibited. Anyone who orders or deliberately commits such acts, or aids and abets them, is responsible for war crimes. Commanders of forces who knew or had reason to know about such crimes but did not attempt to stop them or punish those responsible are criminally liable for war crimes as a matter of command responsibility.

 


Just few facts with no comments:

In Irpin:

* 9 y.o. girl was raped by 11 (at least 11 sperm samples were found) soldiers, then they cut the letter “Z” on her chest and ripped her stomach open. Her parents were killed in front of her.

* Mother, father, 3 daughters 5, 8, 17 years old. Russians settled in their house. The father was shot dead the same day. They raped the children in front of the mother, she was raped too. Girls aged 5 and 8, died from rape and injuries. 17 years old daughter and mother survived, but they are in critical condition in hospital.

* Mother, father, 11 years old daughter and their shepherd. The father was shot. The dog was cut for 4 hours in front of the child and mother. During 1 week, the mother was raped in front of her child.

In Bucha:

* Mother, father, daughter 9 years old and son 5 years old. Soldiers from the Kadyrov brigade entered their private house. The father’s hands were tied, he was brought to his knees and shot in front of his wife and children. The next day, the boy's genitals were cut off, he died of bleeding. The mother and daughter were raped for 2 weeks.

* Mother, father, grandparents and 2 years old girl. They found all dead in the house. Father with their hands tied and shot. The child has a cut throat. Mother with torn genitals and slaughtered.

* 14 years old girl was raped by 5 Russian occupiers. She’s pregnant now. The laughed that now she will remember quite well the Russian World

* 11 years old boy was raped in front of his mother. She was tied to a chair to watch.

* 25 girls and women aged 14 to 24 were systematically raped in the basement. Nine of them are pregnant. Russian soldiers told them they would rape them to the point where they wouldn't want sexual contact with any man, to prevent them from having Ukrainian children.


As individuals, Russian soldiers are no more brutal than any other. But they operate within an institutional culture that tacitly allows and actively encourages barbaric behavior. Radio intercepts reveal them discussing the killing of civilians as a deliberate tactic. Putin’s propaganda machine has dehumanized the Ukrainians, making it much easier for his troops to brutalize them.

 

Sources and Additional Information:

https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/04/03/ukraine-apparent-war-crimes-russia-controlled-areas

https://thehill.com/opinion/international/3264042-the-russian-army-has-a-long-history-of-brutality-ukraine-is-no-exception/

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61071243

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/17/world/europe/ukraine-war-russia-atrocities.html

https://time.com/6166681/bucha-massacre-ukraine-dispatch/

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