International humanitarian law violated in Ukraine: UN report
Iran Press TV
Wed Oct 8, 2014 9:33AM GMT
A UN report on the human rights situation in Ukraine has cited violations of international humanitarian law in the country's ongoing conflict.
"During the reporting period (August 18 to September 16), international humanitarian law, including the principles of military necessity, distinction, proportionality and precaution continued to be violated by armed groups and some units and volunteer battalions under the control of the Ukrainian armed forces," the report stated, as cited in a RIA Nolvosti report on Wednesday.
The 37-page official document, based on the work of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine and compiled by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, points to testimonial evidence of cases of maltreatment of suspects under the custody of Ukrainian military forces, such as "beatings, poor nutrition and lack of medical assistance."
The UN monitoring office in Ukraine also expressed concern over the "enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention and ill-treatment allegedly perpetrated by members of the volunteer battalions, in particular by 'Aydar', 'Dnipro-1', 'Kyiv-1' and 'Kyiv-2'."
The UN document, however, makes no mention of several mass graves reportedly found in the northeast of Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, where over 400 bodies allegedly belonging to local civilians and pro-independence people were buried, according to the news report.
The Ukrainian government has yet to comment on this report.
Armed clashes between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russians in southeastern Ukraine have reportedly killed over 3,500 people since April.
The two sides reached a ceasefire agreement on September 5, which immediately came into effect.
MFB/HSN/HRB
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