Updated 3:40 p.m. Moscow Time
MOSCOW, October 14 (RIA Novosti) – The events in Ukraine showed that the international law is in deep crisis as many international human rights organizations turn a blind eye to crimes against civilians in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday.
“They [the events in Ukraine] have demonstrated a large-scale crisis of the international law, basic norms of the Universal declaration in human rights and the convention to prevent genocide,” Putin said at a meeting of the Kremlin human rights council.
“We witnessed double standards in attitudes toward crimes against civilians in southeastern Ukraine, the violation of fundamental human rights – the right to live and the right for personal security. People there are subject to torture, cruel and humiliating treatment, discrimination and extrajudicial measures,” the president said.
“Unfortunately, many international organizations simply turn a blind eye to these facts,” he continued.
During six months of unrest in Ukraine, since Kiev authorities launched a military operation against independence supporters in country’s eastern regions, numerous cases of international law violations by Ukrainian army have been observed.
Human rights violations included cases of kidnappings and torture. Press freedom has also been ignored, international journalists have been detained and threatened. Ukrainian army repeatedly targeted populated areas, its shelling resulted in numerous deaths of civilians.
Earlier this month, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights released a report in which it said that Kiev-controlled forces continue to violate the principles of international humanitarian law, citing in particular "the enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention and ill-treatment allegedly perpetrated by members of the volunteer battalions".
In September, Amnesty International confirmed that the Ukrainian government was responsible for the war crimes and human rights violations committed by Ukrainian volunteer battalions.
According to recent UN estimates, the military operation led by Kiev claimed lives of 3,700 people and left over 8,800 injured.
