Ukraine prosecutor opens criminal investigation against Russia law enforcement agency News
Ukraine prosecutor opens criminal investigation against Russia law enforcement agency

[JURIST] Ukrainian state prosecutors announced Tuesday that they have opened a criminal investigation against Russian law enforcement agency the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation [official website], accusing it of supporting separatist and “terrorist” groups in the east of the country. The investigation follows the announcement of a similar investigation against “unidentified representatives of Ukraine’s senior political and military leadership” opened [Reuters report] by Russia on Monday. According to the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office [Moscow Times report], the case against Russia’s law enforcement agency is connected with that agency’s investigation into “banned methods and means of war.”

The crisis in the Ukraine [JURIST news archive] has continued to escalate over recent months with no immediate end in sight. Earlier this month a senior UN human rights official said that the death toll in Ukraine [BBC backgrounder] has risen above 3,000 and pleaded for peace [JURIST report] to spare more bloodshed. Also this month now-former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights [official website] Navi Pillay announced the findings of a report [JURIST report] detailing the harsh war-like conditions in eastern Ukraine that have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians. The report noted that civilian deaths are averaging approximately 36 per day, and also documented a number of serious human rights abuses committed primarily by the armed groups who seized control over a large part of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine. Late last month the UN OCHR issued a report [JURIST report] documenting the continuing deterioration of the human rights situation in Ukraine and calling for greater care to prevent civilian causalities in the region. Earlier in July Amnesty International [advocacy website] cited [JURIST report] mounting evidence of abductions and violence against activists, protestors and journalists in eastern Ukraine.