The UN mission for human rights violations caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will investigate the effects of the recent Kakhovka dam breach, a UN spokesman confirmed Wednesday.
According to spokesman Pascal Lim of the UN Human Rights Office, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry in Ukraine, established last year by the UN Human Rights Council, will “investigate the impact of the dam breach”, adding that it has already heard from some of the people affected.
The mission is led by Norwegian Erik Mose and included Colombian Pablo de Greiff and Bosnian Jasminka Dzumhur.
These experts have already issued reports accusing Russia of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine, including murder, summary execution, torture and inhuman treatment, rape and forced deportation.
The UN mission also documented human rights violations committed by the Ukrainian military, including indiscriminate attacks, and at least two incidents that can be considered war crimes, in which prisoners were killed, injured and tortured.
The aim of the mission is to obtain evidence as soon as possible that could serve to bring the perpetrators of the war crimes to justice, at a time when the International Criminal Court in The Hague has already opened investigation proceedings.
