Forced displacement is a serious violation of the laws of war, war crimes and potential crimes against humanity.
Russian troops and collaborators forcibly transport Ukrainian citizens to Russia or Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine. This is stated in the published report of Human Rights Watch “We have no choice: infiltration and the crime of forced transfer of Ukrainian civilians to Russia.”
It is noted that forced evictions are a serious violation of the laws of war, war crimes and potential crimes against humanity.
Authorities covering thousands of Ukrainian citizens are also subjected to mandatory, punitive and violent security checks called “filtering”.
“Ukrainian civilians should not be put in a situation where they have no choice but to go to Russia. And no one should be forced to go through a brutal vetting process,” said Belkis Ville, senior crisis and conflict researcher at Human Rights Watch and co-author of the report.
Human Rights Watch interviewed 54 people who had been filtered, had relatives or friends transferred to Russia, or supported Ukrainians trying to leave Russia.
The organization also interviewed dozens of civilians who escaped from the war zone into Ukrainian-controlled territory without screening.
In mid-August, Russian media reported that more than 3.4 million Ukrainians, including 555 thousand children, entered the Russian Federation from Ukraine. Some of those with access to smartphones and social media contacted activists who helped them leave Russia for Estonia, Latvia or Georgia. However, some faced difficulties at the border because they left their identity documents behind when they fled Ukraine.
“While Russia may have legitimate grounds for conducting security checks on people willing to enter Russian territory voluntarily, the filtering process – in its scope and the manner in which the Ukrainian civilians are forced to undergo it – is punitive and harrowing, has no legal basis and violates the right to privacy, Human Rights Watch said.
People who “spoiled” the process, likely suspected of having ties to the Ukrainian military or nationalist groups, were held in Russian-controlled regions, including at the Yelenovka detention center, where at least 50 Ukrainian prisoners were reportedly held who was killed as a result of the explosion. on 28 July.
“The transfer of people to the territories occupied by Russia and the Russian Federation without their consent must be stopped immediately. The Russian authorities and international organizations must do everything possible to help those transported who are in Russia against their will and want to return home so that these people have the opportunity to do so safely,” emphasized Belkis Ville.
Torture and humiliation in the filtration camps and forced evacuation from Mirupol to the Russian Federation were previously reported.
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Source: korrespondent
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.