The Czech Republic, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU, called on Saturday 17 September for the creation of an international tribunal for war crimes. The appeal follows the discovery of around 450 graves on the outskirts of Izium, a town in eastern Ukraine recaptured from the Russians last week, with some of the bodies exhumed showing signs of torture. “In the 21st century, such attacks against the civilian population are unthinkable and heinous”, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said on Twitter. Follow our live.
Emmanuel Macron denounces the “atrocities” committed “under Russian occupation”. The President of the Republic condemned “with the greatest firmness the atrocities committed in Izium, Ukraine, under Russian occupation”after the discovery of hundreds of bodies summarily buried near this city taken back from the Russians, according to kyiv. “The perpetrators will have to answer for their actions. There is no peace without justice”added the Head of State on Twitter, Friday. The EU said “deeply shocked” by these abuses.
Zelensky denounces the crimes of “torturers”. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced the crimes of an army of “torturers” after the discovery of these bodies on Thursday. The President of Ukraine, in a video posted on Telegram, promised “a terribly just punishment” those responsible for the alleged crimes. “99%” bodies exhumed on Friday in a forest on the outskirts of Izium, a town in eastern Ukraine retaken from the Russians last week, “showed signs of violent death”regional governor Oleg Synegoubov said in the evening.
Ten “torture chambers” discovered. Ukrainian police chief Igor Klymenko announced the discovery of 10 “torture chambers” in localities recaptured from the Russians in the Kharkiv region, including six in Izium and two in the town of Balakliïa.
Erdogan and Modi play appeasement. On the diplomatic side, present alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin for a regional summit in Uzbekistan, Turkish Head of State Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for an end to the conflict in Ukraine “as quickly as possible”while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed that the time was not “not to war”.