There is such a thing as rules, a code, treaties, even a certain “ethics” of war, however revulsive the very idea of associating the two expressions may be. The purpose of war is to annihilate others, to take possession of their territory, to destroy them: in itself, this has nothing to do with ethics. But there are conventions whose purpose is to ensure that certain levels on the scale of horror are never crossed. Apparently Russia doesn’t care.
Evidence is mounting at a dangerously steady pace to support the idea that war crimes are being committed by Russia against the Ukrainian people. We are witnessing live atrocities perpetrated against defenseless people. The “war crime” occurs when civilians are deliberately attacked in addition to the infrastructure deemed to shelter them. International humanitarian law enshrines the protection of the most vulnerable: children, the wounded, people who no longer enjoy their freedom, women – it has been shown that they expose themselves to increased risks in times of conflict – and internally displaced persons.
From the first pulsations of the war in Ukraine, forced by the murderous unreason of Vladimir Putin, violations of humanitarian law have been committed. In itself, Amnesty International recently noted, the mere invasion of Ukraine by Russia constitutes a “manifest” violation of the Charter of the United Nations and an “act of aggression constituting a crime under international law”, the protection body of human rights, noting in passing that “the impact on the lives, safety and well-being of civilians is real and potentially enormous”.
We don’t need to be convinced: the latest official figures show 549 dead civilians – including 26 children – and 957 wounded in Ukraine. These figures could be cruelly underestimated, we warn. Meticulously dissected scenes as part of investigations by journalists and experts dispatched to the scene by certain organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Criminal Court (ICC), leave no doubt as to the execution of war crimes. Civilians waiting patiently in line were attacked from the air on day 2 of the conflict; citizens hoping for safe passages to leave their country have in fact ventured on mined routes and targeted by attacks. The deaths add up.
Hospitals, clinics, schools — deemed zones of peace and refuge under the Geneva Conventions — have been viciously targeted. The attack this week on a pediatric hospital in Mariupol revolted the entire planet. Three people died — including a child — and 17 were injured. The WHO claims to have identified in two weeks 16 hospitals or clinics targeted by ruthless fire. Not to mention the choice of projectiles: the use of ballistic missiles and cluster bombs could be added to the list of war crimes that organizations like the ICC will have to scrutinize. The specter of the atrocious use of chemical weapons, as we have seen in Syria, unfortunately hovers. In a letter addressed to the ICC prosecutor, 39 countries, including Canada, called for the opening of an investigation into possible war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine. The International Court of Justice, a UN body, is also on the case.
What is the real impact of such a “threat” on a dictator like Vladimir Putin, who obeys only his own code of conduct? The universal disapproval of the atrocities committed by the Russian leader compels at least the attempt; but the hopes of arriving at a condemnation of the culprits must be realistic. The process will be long. The proof, difficult to amass. The real culprits could long hide in impunity, despite popular worldwide opprobrium.