Commission Of Inquiry On Ukraine HRC
/
2:14
/
MP4
/
164.2 MB

Edited News , Press Conferences | OHCHR

Commission Of Inquiry On Ukraine HRC 23 September 2022

War crimes have been committed in Ukraine conflict, finds top human rights inquiry

Almost seven months to the day since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, UN-appointed independent human rights investigators said that war crimes have indeed been committed in the conflict.

The finding came in the first report by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, which was set up in March this year, at the request of Human Rights Council Member States.

Much of the Commission’s work focused on investigations in the regions of Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Sumy, where allegations of the most serious rights violations were made against Russian or Russian-backed forces, early in the war.

Commission chairperson Erik Møse said that investigators visited 27 towns and settlements and interviewed more than 150 victims and witnesses. They also inspected “sites of destruction, graves, places of detention and torture”, as well as remnants of weapons.

“Based on the evidence gathered so far during the Commission’s existence, we found out after having carried out the investigations in these four areas just mentioned, we found that war crimes have been committed in Ukraine,” he told journalists in Geneva.

That conclusion is in line with findings published earlier this year by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU).

It documented unlawful killings - including summary executions of civilians - in more than 30 settlements in Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv and Sumy regions, by Russian armed forces while they controlled these areas in late February and March.

Other key findings from the report include the surprisingly “large number of executions” in 16 towns and settlements, where “common elements” of the crimes included “visible signs of executions on bodies, such as hands tied behind backs, gunshot wounds to the head, and slit throats”.

The report, delivered to the Human Rights Council earlier on Friday, also documented how explosive weapons had been used by the Russian Federation forces, “without distinguishing between civilians and combatants in populated areas…We were struck by a large number of executions and other violations by Russian forces, and the Commission received consistent accounts of torture and ill-treatment.”

Horrific allegations of sexual violence against Ukrainian communities - including children - were also found to be based in fact.

“The Commission investigated cases of sexual gender-based violence. It documented cases in which some Russian Federation soldiers made such crime,” said Commissioner Jasminka Džumhur:

Ukrainian forces were also responsible for human rights violations, said Commissioner Pablo de Greiff: “We have found two instances of ill-treatment of Russian Federation soldiers by Ukrainian soldiers, and we mentioned this in our statement. We have found obviously significantly larger numbers of instances that amount to war crimes on the part of the Russian Federation.”

ends

 

 

STORY: Ukraine Commission of Inquiry - HRC

TRT: 2 mins 14s

SOURCE: UNTV CH

RESTRICTIONS: NONE

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/NATS

ASPECT RATIO: 16:9

DATELINE: 23 September 2022 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

 

SHOTLIST 

  1. Medium shot, UN Geneva flag alley.
  2. Wide shot, press room with panel of speakers.
  3. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Chair of Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, Erik Møse: “We have submitted now this sort of report relates to four areas in Ukraine, and these four areas were selected because they were mentioned in the second resolution by the Human Rights Council, and they are Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv and Sumy.”
  4. Medium shot, pressroom with cameras and journalists.
  5. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Chair of Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, Erik Møse: “Based on the evidence gathered so far during the Commission’s existence, we found, after having carried out the investigations in these four areas just mentioned, we found that war crimes were committed in Ukraine.”
  6. Medium shot, panel of speakers.
  7. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Chair of Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, Erik Møse: “Explosive weapons were used by the Russian Federation forces without distinguishing between civilians and combatants in populated We were struck by a large number of executions and other violations by Russian forces, and the Commission received consistent accounts of torture and ill-treatment.”
  8. Close up shot, camera screen showing speaker.
  9. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Commissioner of Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, Jasminka Džumhur: “The Commission investigated cases of sexual gender-based violence. It documented cases in which some Russian Federation soldiers made such crime.”
  10. Medium shot, journalists taking photos.
  11. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Commissioner of Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, Pablo de Greiff: “We have found two instances of ill-treatment of Russian Federation soldiers by Ukrainian soldiers, and we mentioned this in our statement. We have found obviously significantly larger numbers of instances that amount to war crimes on the part of the Russian Federation.”
  12. Wide shot, press room with cameras and panel of speakers.
  13. Close up shot, journalists taking notes.
  14. Medium shot, journalists taking notes.


Documents 1
Download Storyline
Download

Audio Files 1
Download Commission Of Inquiry On Ukraine HRC 23 September 2022 (Continuity)
Download

Similar Stories

OHCHR - Press Conference: UN Human Rights Committee's findings - 28 March 2024

1

1

1

Press Conferences | OHCHR

OHCHR - Press Conference: UN Human Rights Committee's findings - 28 March 2024 ENG FRA

UN Human Rights Committee hybrid press conference to present findings on Chile, Guyana, Indonesia, Namibia, Serbia, Somalia and the UK

HRC Press Conference: Special Rapporteur on oPt - 27 March 2024

2

1

3

Edited News , Press Conferences | HRC

HRC Press Conference: Special Rapporteur on oPt - 27 March 2024 ENG FRA

Israel's "genocidal incitement" against Palestinians in Gaza transcends the scope of war crimes and crimes against humanity, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory alleged on Wednesday.

OHCHR Press Conference: Presentation of the report on obstacles to the implementation of the peace agreement in Colombia

1

1

1

Press Conferences | OHCHR

OHCHR Press Conference: Presentation of the report on obstacles to the implementation of the peace agreement in Colombia ENG FRA

Antonia Urrejola, international human rights expert appointed to identify and verify obstacles to the implementation of the Colombia 2016 Peace Agreement.

Geneva Press Briefing - 26 March 2024

1

1

1

Press Conferences | FAO , HRC , OCHA , UNHCR , UNICEF , UNOG , WHO

Geneva Press Briefing - 26 March 2024 ENG FRA

Alessandra Vellucci of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, attended by the spokespersons and representatives of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Division of Administration, the Food and Agricultural Organization, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the World Health Organization and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Gaza humanitarian update: UNICEF - FAO - OCHA

1

1

1

Edited News | UNICEF , FAO , OCHA

Gaza humanitarian update: UNICEF - FAO - OCHA ENG FRA

A child dreaming of a slice of cucumber to eat and teenage girls saying they hope for death to “end their nightmare”: these are just some of the facets of the horror unfolding in Gaza, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 22 March 2024

1

1

1

Press Conferences | UNDP , UNECE , WHO

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 22 March 2024 ENG FRA

Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid briefing, which was attended by spokespersons and representatives of the World Health Organization, the United Nations Development Fund, and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.