New evidence that pro-Russian Ukrainian separatists have executed government soldiers must be investigated and perpetrators prosecuted said Amnesty International.
The non governmental organisation stated that footage it had reviewed showed captured Ukrainian soldier Ihor Branovytsky captive and interrogated. He was later killed in captivity.
“The new evidence of these summary killings confirms what we have suspected for a long time. The question now is: what are the separatist leaders going to do about it?” said Denis Krivosheev, Europe and Central Asia Deputy Director at Amnesty International.
“Summary killings are a war crime, plain and simple,” continued Mr Krivosheev. “The leaders of the self-styled ‘Donetsk People's Republic’ in eastern Ukraine must send their members a clear message: those who fight with them or on their behalf must respect the laws of war. They must urgently remove from their ranks anyone suspected of responsibility for ordering or committing serious violations of international humanitarian law and human rights abuses, and fully cooperate with any independent investigation.”
“The torture, ill-treatment and killing of captured, surrendered or wounded soldiers are war crimes. These claims must be promptly, thoroughly and impartially investigated, and the perpetrators prosecuted in fair trials by recognized authorities,” concluded Mr Krivosheev.
See more from Amnesty International here.
The non governmental organisation stated that footage it had reviewed showed captured Ukrainian soldier Ihor Branovytsky captive and interrogated. He was later killed in captivity.
“The new evidence of these summary killings confirms what we have suspected for a long time. The question now is: what are the separatist leaders going to do about it?” said Denis Krivosheev, Europe and Central Asia Deputy Director at Amnesty International.
“Summary killings are a war crime, plain and simple,” continued Mr Krivosheev. “The leaders of the self-styled ‘Donetsk People's Republic’ in eastern Ukraine must send their members a clear message: those who fight with them or on their behalf must respect the laws of war. They must urgently remove from their ranks anyone suspected of responsibility for ordering or committing serious violations of international humanitarian law and human rights abuses, and fully cooperate with any independent investigation.”
“The torture, ill-treatment and killing of captured, surrendered or wounded soldiers are war crimes. These claims must be promptly, thoroughly and impartially investigated, and the perpetrators prosecuted in fair trials by recognized authorities,” concluded Mr Krivosheev.
See more from Amnesty International here.