Amnesty International regrets to Ukraine the controversy generated by the report against kyiv

Aug. 8 () –

The NGO Amnesty International (AI) has lamented the controversy that arose after the publication of the report in which the organization pointed out that the Ukrainian Army was using combat tactics that endangered the lives of civilians.

In a statement published late on Sunday, Amnesty assured that since the Russian invasion began it has been documenting and reporting “rigorously” on war crimes and violations committed in Ukraine.

“Since the Russian invasion began in February 2022, Amnesty International has been rigorously documenting and reporting on war crimes and violations committed in Ukraine, and has spoken with hundreds of victims and survivors,” the NGO said in the statement. , at the same time that he has lamented “the anguish and anger” that his report has raised.

Amnesty has stated that its priority in this and any conflict is to ensure the protection of civilians. “In fact, this was our only goal in publishing this latest research,” he added.

However, the organization has assured that “although” they “fully” support their findings, they regret the pain caused while wishing to clarify “some crucial points.”

In this sense, AI has detailed that its report, which included the cases of 19 towns that the organization had visited, was based “on the norms of International Humanitarian Law, which require that all parties to a conflict avoid locating, to the extent possible, military targets in or near densely populated areas.

“The laws of war exist in part to protect civilians and, for this reason, Amnesty International urges governments to comply with them,” the NGO has clarified.

In addition, he has tried to clarify that such an approach does not hold the Ukrainian forces responsible for “the violations committed by the Russian forces”, nor that the Ukrainian Army is not taking “adequate precautions in other parts of the country”.

“Russia bears sole responsibility for the violations it has committed against Ukrainian civilians. Amnesty’s work over the past six months and our multiple reports and reports on Russia’s rapes and war crimes reflect the scale and severity of its impact on the civilian population,” the organization said in the letter.

“Amnesty International does not intend to give the Ukrainian army detailed instructions on how they should act, but urges the competent authorities to fully comply with their international humanitarian obligations,” he added, adding that he will always try to guarantee the lives and two human rights of civilians. .

Last Thursday, AI published a report warning that Ukrainian troops were engaging in combat tactics endangering civilian lives when operating from hospitals or schools to fight Russian troops.

Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky criticized the report, saying Amnesty was “justifying” Russian attacks on Ukraine and comparing “the victim to the aggressor.”

After the controversy, last Friday the director of the Ukrainian section of the NGO, Oksana Pokalchuk, announced her resignation.