The US government has officially established that Russia committed crimes against humanity after launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
This was announced at the Munich Security Conference by US Vice President Kamala Harris, writes CNN.
And I say to everyone who committed these crimes, and to their superiors who are involved in these crimes: you will be held accountable,” Harris said.
As examples of such crimes, Harris cited the killings of civilians in Bucha, attacks on a maternity hospital and a drama theater in Mariupol, and the sexualized abuse of a four-year-old girl in the Kiev region by a Russian serviceman.
Barbarism and inhumanity,” Harris said.
The US Vice President added that Russian authorities forcibly deported hundreds of thousands of people from Ukraine to Russia, including children.
Recall that Ukraine and Western countries intend to create a special tribunal investigating Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
At the end of November 2022, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the European Union plans to create a special court with the support of the UN to investigate Russian war crimes. The leaders of the G7 countries, following the summit in December, promised that Russian President Vladimir Putin would be held accountable for the invasion of Ukraine. But it is not yet clear whether Western countries will be able to do this, CNN notes.
War crime or crime against humanity – what’s the difference?
Russia has committed crimes against humanity in Ukraine. During the war, this phrase is regularly used as a synonym for another – “war crimes”. But there is a difference between these concepts.
As the UN explains, a crime against humanity can take place in times of war or peace, it doesn’t have to be related to an armed conflict. For example, sexual slavery is a crime against humanity.
A war crime is only committed during an armed conflict. An example of a war crime is the killing by a soldier of an unarmed civilian in a combat zone.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.