Russia in spotlight over Ukraine atrocities as Human Rights Council meets

A special session of the UN Human Rights Council met on Thursday in Geneva, prompted by increasing concern over atrocities against civilians, linked to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February.

Reiterating her alarm at the mounting number of reports and testimonies of possible war crimes in Ukraine, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said that the pattern of abuses continued to be caused “by the use of explosive weapons with wide area effects in populated areas, such as shelling from heavy artillery, including multiple launch rocket systems, and missile and air strikes”.

These incidents were attributable to both Russian and Ukrainian forces although Russia was likely responsible for the majority of victims, the UN rights chief said, in a video message.

Highlighting the latest harrowing findings of UN investigators in the Kyiv and Cherniviv regions, Ms. Bachelet told the forum that 1,000 civilian bodies had been found in the Kyiv region alone. Some had been killed in hostilities, but others appeared to have been summarily executed.

“These killings of civilians often appeared to be intentional, carried out by snipers and soldiers. Civilians were killed when crossing the road or leaving their shelters to seek food and water. Others were killed as they fled in their vehicles.”

She added: “In the village of Katiuzhanka, Kyiv region, a young couple, their 14-year-old daughter and a grandfather were shot by Russian soldiers while trying to drive to their house. The parents were killed, while the child received two gunshot wounds.”

Still others died because of stress to their health caused by hostilities and the lack of medical aid, the High Commissioner continued, describing how people had been forced to spend weeks in basements because they were threatened by Russian soldiers “with abuse or death” if they tried to leave.  

Following Ms. Bachelet’s remarks and noting that “the Russian Federation is not in the room”, Federico Villegas, President of the Human Rights Council gave the floor to Emine Dzheppar, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

Russia’s absence followed its suspension from the Council by the UN General Assembly last month. As a concerned country, Russia could nonetheless have participated in the proceedings, at which Member States were due to consider a draft resolution calling for an end to the war and ongoing international support for accountability for its victims, many of whom continue to endure an ongoing humanitarian emergency.

“These have been 10 weeks of sheer horror to the people of my country,” said the Ukrainian representative. “Ten weeks of time of deep suffering for every Ukrainian family without exception.”

Addressing the Council from Kyiv and holding up a sheet of paper showing a dark mass of thick black lines that had been drawn by a victim of sexual violence, Ms. Dzheppar alleged that children had been “raped in front of their mothers, like the 11-year-old boy who was raped in front of his mother; he actually lost the ability to speak after, and the only way how he communicates with the world are the black lines, and this is the first picture that he drew working with a group of psychologists who are trying to help him recover.”

Since the beginning of the Ukraine war, UN-appointed independent rights experts known as Special Procedures have highlighted deep concerns over violations of international humanitarian law.

These include an alert over the apparent ill-treatment of some of the hundreds of thousands of migrant workers and foreign nationals in Ukraine.

“Colleagues had also noted with serious concern reports of people of African descent and racial and ethnic minorities being subjected to discriminatory treatment as they flee Ukraine,” said Chair of the Coordination Committee of Special Procedures, Victor Madrigal-Borloz, insisting that “the lives of all people of Ukraine are in danger, including ethnic, national, linguistic and religious minorities”.

The conflict had affected regions where different ethnic groups had lived together for years, the rights expert continued, before issuing a fresh alert over dangers of reporting on the war: “My colleagues referred to numerous reports that journalists are being targeted, tortured, kidnapped, attacked and killed, or refused safe passage from the cities and regions under siege.”

The special session – the Council’s 34th since it began work in 2006 – also featured an early update from the top rights probe into abuses in Ukraine that was set up in March, at the request of a majority of the forum’s members.

“While not a strictly judicial instance, one of the Commission's tasks is to identify, where possible, individuals and entities responsible for violations or abuses of human rights or of international humanitarian law, or other related crimes,” said Erik Mose, Chair of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine.

Among the countries expressing solidarity for Ukraine, French Ambassador Jerome Bonnafont reiterated his country’s condemnation for the Russian invasion of its neighbour: “We have said it before and we repeat: there is one aggressor in this war, it is Russia; it is not NATO, nor Europe, nor Ukraine. Let us demonstrate today the solidarity of the international community with the people of Ukraine, and to all those affected by the consequences of the Russian aggression.”

ends

STORY: Ukraine Special Session – Human Rights Council

TRT: 3 mins 41s

SOURCE: UNTV CH

RESTRICTIONS: NONE

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / FRENCH / SPANISH

ASPECT RATIO: 16:9

DATELINE: 12 May 2022 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

SHOTLIST

1. 1. Close-up, UN flag alley, UN Geneva.
   2. Wide shot, UN Human Rights Council meeting at UN Geneva, Room XIX, UN Geneva.
   3. SOUNDBITE (Spanish): Federico Villegas, President of the Human Rights Council: “Tengo entendido que la Federación de Rusia no está en la sala…por lo tanto, tiene la palabra entonces la distinguida representante de Ucrania./I understand (the Representative of) the Russian Federation is not in the room…in that case, I will give the floor to the Representative of Ukraine.”
   4. Medium shot, TV screen showing the UN Human Rights Council meeting in foreground, delegates to rear.
   5. SOUNDBITE (English): Emine Dzheppar, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine: “These have been 10 weeks of sheer horror to the people of my country. Ten weeks of time of deep suffering for every Ukrainian family without exception.”
   6. Medium shot, masked Ukrainian delegates in the foreground, TV screen showing the First Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Emine Dzheppar, to rear.
   7. SOUNDBITE (English): Emine Dzheppar, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine: “Children raped in front of their mothers like the 11-year-old boy who was raped in front of his mother; he actually lost the ability to speak after, and the only way how he communicates with the world are the black lines, and this is the first picture that he drew working with a group of psychologists who are trying to help him recover.”
   8. Close-up, shot from the back of the Ukraine delegate, seated in foreground, TV screen showing Ukraine speaker to rear.
   9. SOUNDBITE (English): Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: “The scale of unlawful killings, including indications of summary executions in areas to the north of Kyiv is shocking. While we have information about 300 such killings, the figures will continue to increase as new evidence becomes available.”
   10. Medium wide shot, UN Human Rights Council meeting, Libyan delegates seated in the foreground, delegates of Ukraine and other countries in the background.
   11. SOUNDBITE (English): Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: “These killings of civilians often appeared to be intentional, carried out by snipers and soldiers. Civilians were killed when crossing the road or leaving their shelters to seek food and water. Others were killed as they fled in their vehicles.”
   12. Medium wide shot, cameramen filming and photographing in the foreground, masked delegates to rear.
   13. SOUNDBITE (English): Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: “In the village of Katiuzhanka, Kyiv region, a young couple, their 14-year-old daughter and a grandfather were shot by Russian soldiers while trying to drive to their house. The parents were killed, while the child received two gunshot wounds.”
   14. Wide shot, UN Human Rights Council at UN Geneva, delegates are seated and listening.
   15. SOUNDBITE (English): Victor Madrigal-Borloz, Chair of the Coordination Committee of Special Procedures: “Colleagues had also noted with serious concern reports of people of African descent and racial and ethnic minorities being subjected to discriminatory treatment as they flee Ukraine.”
   16. Medium shot, masked delegates listening and taking notes.
   17. SOUNDBITE (English): Victor Madrigal-Borloz, Chair of the Coordination Committee of Special Procedures: “My colleagues referred to numerous reports that journalists are being targeted, tortured, kidnapped, attacked and killed, or refused safe passage from the cities and regions under siege.”
   18. Wide shot, visitors at the United Nations Geneva observing the Human Rights Council behind a viewing window on upper floor.
   19. SOUNDBITE (English): Erik Mose, Chair of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine: “While not a strictly judicial instance, one of the Commission's tasks is to identify, where possible, individuals and entities responsible for violations or abuses of human rights or of international humanitarian law, or other related crimes.”
   20. Medium shot, empty chairs of Russian delegation in foreground, other empty seats to rear.
   21. SOUNDBITE (French): Jerome Bonnafont, Ambassador, Permanent Representative to UN in Geneva: “Monsieur le Président nous l’avons dit et nous le répétons : il y a un agresseur dans cette guerre, c’est la Russie, ce n’est ni l’OTAN, ni l’Europe ni l’Ukraine. Manifestons aujourd’hui la solidarité de la communauté internationale avec le people ukrainien, et tous ceux qui sont touchés par les conséquences de l’agression russe. Je vous remercie/Mister President, we have said it before and we repeat: there is one aggressor in this war, it is Russia; it is not NATO, nor Europe, nor Ukraine. Let us demonstrate today the solidarity of the international community with the people of Ukraine, and to all those affected by the consequences of the Russian aggression. Thank you.”
   22. Wide shot, UN Human Rights Council meeting at UN Geneva.
   23. Medium shot, UN Human Rights Council meeting, Ukraine delegates seated in the foreground, delegates of other countries in the background.
   24. Medium shot, empty chairs of Russian delegation.
   25. Medium shot, delegate of the United States.