UN accuses Ukrainians and Russians of “summary executions” of prisoners

What there is to know

The UN accuses Russian and Ukrainian forces of committing summary executions of prisoners of war during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “We are deeply concerned by the summary execution of 25 Russian prisoners of war and persons hors de combat” as well as that of “15 Ukrainian prisoners of war”said Matilda Bogner, head of the United Nations human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine, on Friday March 24 in kyiv.

According to Matilda Bogner, the UN has documented the executions of Russians by the Ukrainian armed forces, “often” perpetrated “immediately after capture on the battlefield”. If the UN knows that five investigations are carried out by kyiv concerning 22 victims, “we are not aware of any lawsuits against the authors” of these crimes, she added. Regarding the executions of 15 Ukrainian prisoners of war “soon after their capture by the Russian armed forces”, eleven of them were perpetrated by the Russian paramilitary group Wagner, the official added. Follow our live.

Emmanuel Macron in China. The French Head of State will travel to “state visit” in China from April 5 to 8, accompanied by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. “The French and Chinese presidents will have in-depth discussions on the war in Ukraine to work towards a return to peace and this in compliance with international law, in particular the sovereignty of the territorial integrity of Ukraine” , explained the Elysée.

A Russian spy indicted in the United States. A Russian national was charged Friday with espionage in the United States, where he is accused of having lived under a false identity for two years. In April 2022, he notably tried to enter as an intern at the International Criminal Court (ICC), which sits in The Hague in the Netherlands, and is investigating war crimes charges in Ukraine against Russia.

A French volunteer was recently killed in the Bakhmout region, according to press information confirmed by the Foreign Ministry on Friday. The regional daily West France reported on March 22 the death of Kevin D., a former humanitarian who left more than a year ago to fight alongside the Ukrainians. The 30-year-old was killed in undetermined circumstances near Bakhmout, where a bloody battle between Russian and Ukrainian forces has been going on for eight months.

source site-25