The U.N. appoints a commission to investigate allegations of war crimes in Ukraine.
The United Nations top human rights body on Wednesday appointed a commission to investigate accusations of war crimes and other abuses committed in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and to identify the people responsible.
The three-person panel, named by the U.N. Human Rights Council, was appointed for an initial period of a year to “establish the facts circumstances and root causes” of any crimes.
Ukrainian leaders and the U.S. government have accused Russian forces of war crimes. The Russian government has denied that its military has purposely targeted civilians, despite witness accounts, photos, videos and satellite imagery demonstrating the destruction of civilian centers, including apartments and hospital buildings.
The panel’s formation adds to a surge of international activity aimed at achieving accountability for international crimes committed in Ukraine.
@nytimes