Romania asks for human rights observance in the neighboring Ukraine invaded by the Russian troops.
Bucharest reconfirms „Romania’s firm and unflinching support” for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the neighboring Ukraine, invaded by Russian troops – Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu has said before the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. „Romania’s determination to make a solid contribution to peace, development and human rights observance is stronger than ever. Human rights are universal, inalienable, indivisible and interconnected so that there is no human dignity without human rights”, Minister Aurescu went on to say. The head of the Romanian diplomacy has recalled the recent resolution by the UN General Assembly, which condemns the war Russia is presently waging on Ukraine. He underlined that „we must make tireless efforts to hold the Russian Federation accountable for its war crimes in Ukraine and to offer compensations to the large number of victims.”
According to its Foreign Minister, Romania values the efforts of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to document the cases of sexual violence against women during the armed conflict in that country as well as other cases of blatant violations of human and POW rights. „Ukraine’s victory must be defined by Ukraine itself – Aurescu says, because „it is its legal and moral right. We, on our part, must provide multilateral support to strengthen Ukraine’s resilience against the Russian aggression. We must have a consistent international dialogue and coordination for the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine based on an ample plan in keeping with the realities on the ground” – Aurescu added.
As early as April 2022, the famous human rights organization, Human Rights Watch (HWR), announced that it had documented numerous cases in which Russian troops violated the rights of the civilians in the occupied areas in Ukraine.
And the situation worsened in the months that followed. Brief executions, rapes, forced deportations and situations in which children were taken away from their families have increased at a geometric rate.
Last month the respected organization also cautioned Ukraine against the apparent use of antipersonnel landmines by its forces in the fights for the city of Izium. According to Steve Goose, director of the Arms Division at Human Rights Watch, „Ukrainian forces appear to have extensively scattered landmines around the Izium area, causing civilian casualties and posing an ongoing risk.”
„Russian forces have repeatedly used antipersonnel mines and committed atrocities across the country, but this doesn’t justify Ukrainian use of these prohibited weapons,” the HRW official has also said.
(Bogdan Matei, Radio Romania International)
