Dmytro Lubinets, the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, said that the UN should investigate the war crime of the occupation army of the Russian Federation for killing Ukrainian prisoners of war in the Olenivka colony.
Points of attention
- Dmytro Lubinets urges the UN to investigate the war crime committed by the Russian army in Olenivka, where Ukrainian prisoners of war were killed.
- Challenges in the investigation include Russia's denial of access to the site and the dissolution of the UN expert group due to lack of security guarantees.
- The Ukrainian Ombudsman stresses the need to hold the perpetrators accountable and continue the investigation into the terrorist attack.
- Lubinets highlights the importance of bringing those responsible for the war crime to justice, emphasizing that the crime in Olenivka has no statute of limitations.
- Despite obstacles, efforts are ongoing to ensure that all individuals involved in the terrorist attack face the strictest penalties, calling on the UN and ICRC to fulfill their mandate in investigating the crime.
The UN should investigate the mass murder of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Olenivka by Russia
On the second anniversary of the terrorist attack in Olenivka, Lubinets called on the United Nations to resume work on the investigation into the killing of Ukrainian prisoners of war.
According to him, on August 3, 2022, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres announced that a group of experts was being prepared to investigate the death of prisoners in Olenivka.
However, after 5 months, the group was disbanded due to the lack of security guarantees for its representatives at the investigation site.
Why the UN refused to investigate the terrorist attack in Olenivka
Russia has not granted access to Olenivka to Ukraine or international organizations. However, another factor that could probably be the reason for the dissolution of the mission is that of the three foreigners who are part of it, in fact, all are under the influence of Russia, Lubinets emphasized.
The Ombudsman added that the representatives of the UN mission never tried to familiarize themselves with the materials of the Ukrainian side regarding the circumstances of the explosion in the colony.
I repeatedly tried to meet with its participants and expressed my readiness to personally hand over the materials available in Ukraine. I also offered the Russian human rights commissioner to visit the scene of the tragedy together, but I was refused, Lubinets noted.
He emphasized that the perpetrators of the war crime in Olenivka still escape punishment.
Everyone who is involved in carrying out a terrorist attack must bear the strictest responsibility. We are doing everything to make it happen as soon as possible. I call on the UN and ICRC to fulfill their mandate and investigate the terrorist attack. This crime has no statute of limitations and it will not be possible to "catch" it! - emphasized the ombudsman.
