Forty-five states call for investigating Russian war crimes, holding those responsible to account

01.12.2023 23:19

Ukrinform

At the meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council in Skopje, North Macedonia, 45 participating states emphasized the need to thoroughly investigate Russia’s alleged violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, war crimes and crimes against humanity, and hold those responsible to account.

The relevant Joint Statement on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms was delivered at the closing session of the OSCE Ministerial Council, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, enabled by the Lukashenka regime in Belarus, serves as the starkest example and reminds us all that human rights and fundamental freedoms are among the primary targets of an aggressor and that ensuring respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms is a prerequisite for lasting security and peace among and within states,” the statement reads.

The participating states mentioned that they were appalled by the independent reports, inter alia under the OSCE’s Moscow Mechanism, which had found serious violations of human rights and “clear patterns of violations of international humanitarian law by Russian forces” in Ukraine, including targeted killings of civilians, unlawful detentions, abductions, forcible transfers and large scale deportations as well as the use of torture and other ill-treatment, including sexual violence.

“We strongly condemn these horrific violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law. All alleged violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, war crimes and crimes against humanity must be duly and thoroughly investigated. Those responsible must be held to account,” the participants stressed.

The Joint Statement was signed by 45 countries, namely Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain/EU, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States of America and my own country Denmark.

A reminder that, at the closing session of the OSCE Ministerial Council, 43 countries issued a joint statement on the 90th anniversary of the Holodomor of 1932-1933.