More than 30,000 reports of violence against civilian Ukrainians have been received by the Ukrainian Attorney General. The number is still rising. Even those who have fled the war have experienced cruel things. Ingvild Thorsvik believes that Ukraine now needs help in uncovering possible war crimes. She has just returned from a trip to the war-torn country. – This is what we call time-critical information, which should be captured now, Thorsvik says to news. Ukrainian refugees stand in line to board a train at the Hungarian border. Photo: CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT / AFP The politician therefore believes that the authorities should involve the Norwegian police, in order to interrogate refugees who have come to Norway. – This material can be sent to Ukraine and used in the legal process there. In Poland, they recently started such work. Strong visit to Butsja and Irpin Together with a delegation from the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly, Thorsvik visited the suburbs of Irpin and Butsja this week. – It was a brutality I have never seen before, says Ingvild Thorsvik. The Liberal politician is a member of a working group under the parliamentarians’ assembly. They will see what is possible to do to bring about a legal settlement after the Russian attack on February 24. About 80 percent of the buildings in the Ukrainian city of Irpin have been destroyed as a result of the war. Photo: Ingvild Thorsvik – It was strong to hear about torture, executions and mass graves, where the people who lie there have not yet been identified, says Thorsvik. Can be stopped by Russia The most important thing about the trip was to see what Europe can do to contribute to a sound judicial process, to investigate possible Russian war crimes. – The problem is that the International Criminal Court ICC has limited capacity to be able to conduct an investigation of the enormous number of cases that are now flowing in, says Ingvild Thorsvik. Ingvild Thorsvik (V) is clear in her opinions when she talks about the legal processes that are now taking place in connection with the war. Photo: Morten Jentoft – This can be stopped by the UN Security Council, where Russia has a veto, says Thorsvik. If the case is investigated, Russia and Vladimir Putin will be defined as terrorists, who are behind a war of aggression. Therefore, she believes that it should be considered to establish a separate ad-hoc tribunal to work with what has happened in Ukraine. On the Ukrainian Attorney General’s website, the number is updated daily, showing how many reports of abuse have been received. So far, more than 30,000 have arrived. Covert sexualised violence Ingvild Thorsvik is also concerned that Ukraine needs help to get a better overview of the sexualised violence that has taken place in Ukraine. Picture from a protest against sexual violence outside the Russian consulate in New York, USA. Photo: KENA BETANCUR / AFP – According to the Ukrainian Attorney General, so far only about 30 cases have been received that can be defined as sexualized violence, she says. – This number is probably far too low. Therefore, it is important that other countries, which have received refugees, help to get a better overview, she adds. Who are the war criminals? As a result of the more than 30,000 reports that have been received, 121 people are now suspected of war crimes. One of them is one of the Russian commanders during the occupation of Butsja, Lieutenant Colonel Azatbek Omurbekov. He is originally from Kyrgyzstan, but has made a career in the Russian army. Now he is accused of being behind the abuse and murder in Butsja. Lieutenant Colonel Azatbek Omurbekov, right in the photo, in connection with a blessing he received from an Orthodox priest in November 2021. Photo: EAST2WEST The accusations from the Ukrainian authorities have been rejected by the Russian authorities throughout. Ukraine has already conducted several trials against Russian soldiers. Most people think that this is just the tip of the iceberg. The war in Ukraine has opened up the question of whether Putin is a war criminal for the way he is waging war. Humanitarian law lawyer Helene Walløe of the Red Cross explains.
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Believes Norwegian police should contribute to uncovering war crimes in Ukraine – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
