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New UN Human Rights Chief Warns About Escalation Of War In Ukraine

By RFE/RL October 17, 2022

The new United Nations human rights chief says the recent escalation of Russia's war in Ukraine is "deeply troubling," especially reports of kamikaze drone attacks in urban areas.

Speaking on his first day as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk told reporters in Geneva on October 17 after a new barrage of drone and air attacks by Russia on Kyiv that "any escalation in warfare is deeply troubling to us, and it's happening in Ukraine."

"It is absolutely important that civilian objects, civilians, are not targeted", he said.

"This is very difficult in densely populated urban areas," he added.

Last week Moscow launched an intense wave of attacks on cities across Ukraine after a key Russian-built bridge linking Russia to the Crimean peninsula, which it illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014, was severely damaged in a bomb attack.

Turk, an Austrian lawyer who is a long-time UN diplomat, takes over from Michele Bachelet, whose term ended August 31.

In a statement before he spoke with reporters, Turk said that, when it comes to human rights, "we need all hands on deck" and that respect for international law was "absolutely critical."

"There is no one-size-fits-all approach to every situation," he said.

"I hope to use every tool at our disposal to advance the human rights of all people" which includes "very clearly speaking out when it is necessary."

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-war-escalation- turk-un-human-rights/32087749.html

Copyright (c) 2022. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.