Reports that mass graves have been discovered in the Ukrainian city of Izyum are to be investigated by UN rights monitors, it’s been announced.
The development follows the liberation of eastern areas of Ukraine during the on-going counter-offensive, previously held by Russian or Russian-backed forces.
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One Ukrainian police officer has been quoted as saying that more than 400 bodies are believed to have been found in one location.
In Geneva on Friday, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said that UN investigators already in Ukraine would be looking to see if those buried were soldiers or civilians, and whether they had died in hostilities or from natural causes.
Echoes of Mariupol
“As you may recall, that was something that came up quite a lot during the fighting (during) the siege of Mariupol,” said OHCHR spokesperson Liz Throssell.
“There were these reports of collective graves; it was really a case of looking at whether people had been killed or had died of natural causes because they weren’t able to get treatment, and they had indeed been buried in collective graves.”
There have been numerous allegations about atrocities committed against civilians since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February.
In May, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine took testimonies from Ukrainians who said that snipers positioned on roofs “would just shoot fairly randomly at civilians” to discourage them from leaving their homes.
And in Bucha and other suburban towns north of Kyiv that were overrun by Russian troops, the same investigators recorded the unlawful killing of over 300 men, women and children.
At a press conference in Geneva in May, the head of the monitoring mission, Matilda Bogner, told UN News that many Ukrainians continued to search for missing relatives and friends – mainly young men. Some may have been taken to Belarus and then Russia, Ms. Bogner said.
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It is crucial that the UN thoroughly investigates these mass graves to uncover the truth behind the tragic events in East Ukraine. My thoughts are with the families of the victims as they await answers.
It’s shocking to hear about the mass graves in East Ukraine. The UN rights office should thoroughly investigate to uncover the truth behind these horrifying findings.
It’s appalling to hear about the mass graves in East Ukraine. The situation in the region is truly heartbreaking and the investigation by UN rights monitors is crucial for bringing justice to the victims.
Do we know if any identification has been made among the bodies found in the mass graves?
It is reported that UN rights monitors are investigating the mass graves in Izyum to determine if the bodies belong to soldiers or civilians, and how they died. Let’s hope they can provide some closure for the families of the victims.
It’s disturbing to hear about the discovery of mass graves in East Ukraine. The UN must swiftly investigate this to bring justice to the victims and hold the perpetrators accountable.
Could the investigation shed light on the circumstances surrounding the presence of mass graves in Izyum?
Yes, the investigation by UN rights monitors aims to uncover the circumstances behind the mass graves in Izyum, including identifying whether the deceased were civilians or soldiers and the causes of their deaths.
It’s truly disturbing to hear about the discovery of mass graves in East Ukraine. The fact that over 400 bodies have been found in one location is heartbreaking. The UN must investigate to determine if these individuals were civilians or soldiers, and how they lost their lives. This is a tragic reminder of the human cost of conflict in the region.
One Ukrainian police officer has been quoted as saying that more than 400 bodies are believed to have been found in one location. In Geneva on Friday, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said that UN investigators already in Ukraine would be looking to see if those buried were soldiers or civilians, and whether they had died in hostilities or from natural causes. Echoes of Mariupol. “As you may recall, that was something that came up quite a lot during the fighting (during) the siege of Mariupol,” said OHCHR spokesperson Liz Throssell. “There were these reports of collective graves; it was really a case of looking at whether people had been killed or had died of natural causes because they weren’t able to get treatment, and they had indeed been buried in collective graves.” There have been numerous allegations about atrocities committed in the region, and it is crucial that justice and accountability are pursued.
It’s truly horrifying to hear about the mass graves in Izyum. I hope the UN investigation sheds light on the circumstances surrounding these tragic discoveries.
More than 400 bodies found in one location is truly disturbing. The UN investigators must swiftly determine if the deceased were soldiers or civilians and the cause of death. It’s crucial to bring justice to the victims of these atrocities.
Could the UN investigators determine if the bodies found in the mass graves in Izyum were civilians or soldiers?