The Russia’s Investigative Committee has published While Book of Crimes committed in the south-east of Ukraine. The book was edited by Alexander Bastrykin. The book is unique because it is based on the evidence gathered by the Russia’s Investigative Committee during investigations of crimes connected with use of prohibited means and ways of warfare. It is a collection of statements of people involved in the events, photos and materials of international organizations proving military crimes committed in the south-east of Ukraine.
Alexander Bastrykin, the Chairman of the Russia’s Investigative Committee, wrote an opening word: “The armed conflict in the south-east of Ukraine started by political and military authorities of the country had a terrible impact: whole cities lie destroyed, infrastructure and vital services are erased, casualties among civilians are huge, there is an endless flow of refugees who are forced to leave the areas of armed actions”.
“The only name that can be given to this purposeful annihilation of Russian-speaking people of whole regions, use of heavy assault arms against civilians, aimed shelling of hospitals, schools and kindergartens is violation of laws related to protection of civilians during war”.
“Punitive purges of towns and villages, murders of women and children, kidnappings and killings of journalists, tortures of civilians and prisoners are deeply shocking for each person”.
“The Russian’s Investigative Committee has no right to stand by during those tragic events and feels that it is its duty to meticulously put down each crime, committed by nationalistic battalions and Ukraine Armed Forces, the evidence of violation of human rights in Ukraine and the most important right – the right to live”.
“We open investigations against military criminals and nationalists right away. Those cases are investigated minutely so that the guilty ones are justly punished”.
“To do that the Investigative Committee set up a specialized department for investigating crimes connected with use of prohibited means and ways of warfare, involving all divisions of the Investigative Committee, the refugees go to”.
“Active investigative operations are underway to identify military of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, members of the national guard and Right Sector, pilots, artillerymen, snipers, who gave or followed orders of shelling and killing civilians in the south east of country”.
“But not only penal measures are needed to get the triumph of justice. People have to know the truth about this terrible fratricidal war started by nationalistic regime in Ukraine. This was the reason why the Russia’s Investigative Committee made The White Book of Crimes based on criminal records”.
“The book is meant to attract the attention of international community and international human right organizations to outrageous facts of violence over civilians, over defenseless women and children in the first place, to urge the international community to more active efforts toward peaceful settlement of the conflict in the southeast of Ukraine”.
“The material in the book is an impartial analysis of the situation in the southeast of Ukraine from the point of view of respect to human rights and the principle of supremacy of the law”.
Head of Media Relations V.I. Markin
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