Amnesty International urges focus on human rights in Ukraine-related conferences News
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Amnesty International urges focus on human rights in Ukraine-related conferences

Amnesty International urged the global community to focus on “human rights, justice for victims of violations, and the voice of civil society groups” during two major peace and reconstruction conferences in Ukraine, in a statement issued on Monday.

There will be two major conferences held in a matter of days – the Ukraine Recovery Conference, hosted by Germany, on 11-12 June, and the Peace Summit on 15-16 June in Switzerland. Several governments from all over the world are expected to attend.

Ahead of these events, Amnesty International called for the re-focusing on issues such as restoring Ukraine’s energy infrastructure damaged as a result of Russian attacks, ensuring global food security, and returning children and civilians who were forcibly displaced or deported to Russia to Ukraine.

Amnesty International also called for the immediate release of all Ukrainian civilian detainees and prisoners, the removal of all charges against them, and the humanitarian demining and removal of unexploded ordnance remaining in conflict areas. Additionally, the group stressed the importance of observing and enforcing the rights of prisoners of war and the continued pursuit of the prosecution of those individuals responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other human rights violations committed since the beginning of Russia’s military intervention in 2014.

Lastly, the group called for the effective participation of victims, risk groups, and expert civil society organizations in all international discussions on the future of Ukraine.

The two meetings concern the resolution of numerous issues of the military conflict that began in February 2014 when Russia began its occupation of Crimea and later invaded eastern Ukraine. In February 2022, Russian forces launched a full-scale invasion. Since then, Russian troops have been accused of violating the norms of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the Ukraine Prosecutor General has alleged over 120,000 war crimes. Some Ukrainian citizens, including children, have been forcibly displaced and deported.

Ukrainian authorities are also investigating numerous war crimes allegedly committed by Russia during the conflict. To hold Russia accountable for reparations, a special register was created in April, enabling Ukrainians to file claims for damages as a result of the invasion. Hundreds of applications have already been accepted into the register, which began the creation of a mechanism for international compensation.

In its recent report, Amnesty International has already emphasized the need for global solidarity against the regression of human rights and the active participation of people in the fight for them. The report particularly noted the adoption of indiscriminate attack strategies against populated areas as violations of international humanitarian law and the escalated bloodshed contributed by developed countries.

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