European Human Rights Expert Says Russia Has Committed War Crimes In Ukraine, US Ambassador: Catalog Of Inhumanity

Illustration of the forensic identification process for a civilian corpse in the city of Bucha, Ukraine. (Wikimedia Commons/npu.gov.ua/National Police of Ukraine)

JAKARTA - Experts belonging to a mission set up by the Organization for Security and Cooperation and European States (OSCE) have found evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity by Russia in Ukraine, the mission said in a Wednesday report.

The mission was set up last month by 45 of the 57 OSCE participating countries; to look into possible abuses in Ukraine, including war crimes, and to pass the information on to bodies such as the international tribunal, with Russia opposing this move.

The OSCE is an international organization that includes former Cold War foes the United States and Russia as well as various countries in Europe, Central Asia, and North America.

"The mission found a clear pattern of violations of IHL (international humanitarian law) by Russian forces", the report said, citing failure to take necessary precautions, act proportionately or set aside places such as schools and hospitals.

Not all violations of international humanitarian law are war crimes. The mission consisted of three professors of international law from Austria, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic.

Meanwhile, Russia's mission to the OSCE said on Twitter the report was "based solely on an unsubstantiated propaganda thesis, contains references to dubious sources and logical stretches in a "highly possible' style".

Despite Russia's denials, the report said the March 9 attacks on the Mariupol Maternity and Children's Hospital were carried out by Russia, with those responsible for committing war crimes.

The report also said the March 16 attack on the Mariupol Drama Theatre, where local Ukrainian officials say about 300 people were killed, was a war crime.

"The mission cannot conclude whether the Russian attack on Ukraine can qualify as a widespread or systematic attack directed against the civilian population", the report said, referring to the context in which crimes such as murder and rape constitute crimes against humanity.

"Nevertheless, stating some patterns of acts of violence in violation of IHRL (international human rights law), which have been repeatedly documented during the conflict, such as targeted killings, enforced disappearances, or the abduction of civilians, meet these qualifications", the report continued.

"Any act of violence of this type committed as part of such an attack and to the knowledge of it would constitute a crime against humanity."

The mission also found what it called violations by Ukraine, particularly in its treatment of prisoners of war. However, it said Russia's violations were "much larger in nature and scale".

"Overall, the report documents the catalog of inhumanity perpetrated by Russian forces in Ukraine", US ambassador to the OSCE Michael Carpenter said in a statement.

"This includes evidence of direct targeting of civilians, attacks on medical facilities, rape, executions, looting, and forced deportation of civilians to Russia", he said.