On Wednesday March 2, the International Criminal Court announced it would immediately proceed with investigations into President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. With greater transparency due to social media, citizen journalism and technology, the world has been able to watch this war unfold in real time, unlike before, and it is abhorred.
According to the United Nations, the definition of a war crime is “grave breaches of the Geneva Convention” in the following acts: willful killing, torture or inhumane treatment, willfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health, extensive destruction and appropriation of property not out of military necessity and unlawful deportation or transfer of unlawful confinement.
Nearly two weeks into the invasion, Russia has shown little care for Ukraine civilians’ safety. Within a day of moving across the Ukrainian border, Russian troops camped in Chernobyl, the site of the worst nuclear disaster in world history and casualties. The disaster occurred in 1986 and the damaged plant has since been stabilized, but the area is still considered to be toxic. Just a few hundred miles southeast from Chernobyl, Russian forces set the largest nuclear power plant in Europe on fire, causing many to worry about a second and deadlier nuclear explosion. The fire has since been extinguished, but Russian forces have taken command of the plant. The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv has labeled this a war crime.
Multiple sources report that Russian troops have breached cease fire agreements. On March 5, a temporary ceasefire was brokered to allow safe passage of about 215,000 women and children from two Ukrainian cities. Other citizen journalists reported that bombs were set off during a ceasefire that was intended to allow Ukrainians to go to their pharmacies and grocery stores in Kharkiv. In another violent attack on March 6, Russian forces fired on a bridge that civilians were using to escape, resulting in three people dead.
Meanwhile, Putin’s foil, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky refused to be safely removed from Ukraine; he wanted to stay and fight. Zelensky’s leadership style is summed up by his inauguration speech, “I do not want my picture in your offices. The president is not an icon, an idol, or a portrait. Hang your kid’s photos instead, and look at them each time you are making a decision.” Meanwhile, Putin is nowhere to be found although many world leaders are trying to persuade him to stop.
Targeting civilian areas is a war crime. Setting fire to nuclear plants is a war crime. Breaching ceasefire and endangering citizens is a war crime. Putin is a war criminal and should be prosecuted and investigated to the fullest extent of the international law.
While we hope for Ukraine to keep its independence, Ukraine will emerge looking better than Russia regardless. The Ukrainian people have shown their love for their country and a unity that is refreshing after heightened political division over COVID-19. The world has rallied around them, and even Russia has been surprised at the difficulty they have faced in overtaking Ukraine.
We sympathize with Russians who are shocked by the acts of their own country. We grieve with Ukrainians who fear for their lives and the lives of their families. As we long for a time when there is no war or sorrow, we ask our readers to stand united with us as we call for international justice and peace.
Photo courtesy of Philbo at Unsplash