1. Has Russia committed genocide? Explain.
2. Did something in the article suprise you? Discuss.
3. Pick a word/line/passage from the article and respond to it.
4. Discuss a “move” made by the write in this piece that you think is good/interesting. Explain.
Overview
According to a study issued this week by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Russia targeted civilians, a maternity facility, and a theater in Ukraine in violation of international humanitarian law and committed war crimes. The Vienna-based organization also discovered “obvious patterns” of extra war crimes and transgressions of international humanitarian law.
They have demanded deeper investigations.
UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss called the report “a scathing indictment of Russia’s illegitimate and barbaric war” on Twitter. The study was released shortly after President Biden called the Russian war “genocide.”
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has rendered an early judgment on violations of humanitarian law and war crimes, despite the fact that the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court have not (yet) convicted Russia for genocide.
The 110-page assessment said that Russia’s March 9 attack on the Mariupol Maternity House and Children’s Hospital was “deliberate,” had “no effective warning,” and constituted a “war crime.” Its March 16 bombardment on Mariupol’s Drama Theater, which was “clearly identified as holding minors” and where up to 1,300 people had sought refuge, was likewise intentional and a war crime, according to the study.
A three-week probe was launched by three independent experts after 45 of the 57 members of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe approved Ukraine’s request for an investigation. Twelve nations, including Belarus and Russia, abstained from supporting the investigation. (
The organization had earlier been urged by the foreign minister of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, to suspend Russia’s membership due to its “unjustified aggression.”) As they would have needed more time and forensic knowledge to reach a definitive conclusion, the investigating team indicated that the report should be regarded as “preliminary.” However, they discovered what they referred to as “obvious patterns” of wrongdoing by Russian personnel.
