Assertion Journal #2

“Russia is violating International Humanitarian Law” (Foreign, 2022)

This quote is taken from the speech given by the Deputy Head of Delegation, Deirdre Brown, in this
speech she has strongly condemned Russia's violation of international humanitarian law, Statement
made to the OSCE Special Permanent Council on August 9, 2022 (Foreign, 2022). Deirdrie wants to
remind Russia in her speech that it voluntarily signed up to, and helped to create, the elements of
International Humanitarian Law under which parties to armed conflict are obligated to protect the life,
dignity, and integrity of persons under their control, including POWs (Foreign, 2022). Russia willingly
entered into International Humanitarian Law treaties, so there is no way out of the responsibilities.
(Foreign, 2022).

Civilians and those who are no longer involved in the fighting, such as medical and religious personnel,
wounded combatants, civilian internees, and prisoners of war, are protected under international
humanitarian law (Why is international humanitarian law important in Ukraine and around the
world?). Although the presence of many civilians places greater obligations on parties to the conflict to
take steps to minimize harm to civilians, international humanitarian law does not prohibit fighting in
urban areas. The laws of war require parties to a conflict to take constant care during military operations
to spare civilians. These precautions include doing everything possible to ensure that the targets of an
attack are military objectives rather than civilians or civilian objects (Russia, Ukraine & International
Law: On Occupation, armed conflict and human rights 2022).
The High Commissioner stated that as the conflict in Ukraine entered its fifth month, the unfathomable
toll continued to mount. Civilians bore the brunt of hostilities that seemed to have no end in sight, with
daily killings, widespread destruction, arbitrary detention, and mass displacement (High commissioner
for human rights: High numbers of civilian casualties in Ukraine raise concerns that attacks by Russia
are not complying with international humanitarian law 2022). The large number of civilian casualties
and the extent of civilian infrastructure destruction continued to raise serious concerns that Russian
armed forces were not following international humanitarian law (High commissioner for human rights:
High numbers of civilian casualties in Ukraine raise concerns that attacks by Russia are not complying
with international humanitarian law 2022).Most importantly, The Ukrainian Security Service and
National Police reportedly arrested over 1,000 people suspected of supporting Russian armed forces,
raising concerns that these arrests were not carried out in accordance with international human rights
obligations (High commissioner for human rights: High numbers of civilian casualties in Ukraine raise
concerns that attacks by Russia are not complying with international humanitarian law 2022).

References

Foreign, C. & D. O. (2022, August 9). Russia is violating international humanitarian law: UK
statement to OSCE Special Permanent Council. GOV.UK. Retrieved August 13, 2022, from
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/russia-is-violating-international-humanitarian-law-uk-
statement-to-osce-special-permanent-council

Why is international humanitarian law important in Ukraine and around the world? The IRC. (n.d.).
Retrieved August 13, 2022, from https://www.rescue.org/article/why-international-humanitarian-
law-important-ukraine-and-around-world

Russia, Ukraine & International Law: On Occupation, armed conflict and human rights. Human Rights
Watch. (2022, March 4). Retrieved August 13, 2022, from
https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/02/23/russia-ukraine-international-law-occupation-armed-
conflict-and-human-rights

High commissioner for human rights: High numbers of civilian casualties in Ukraine raise concerns
that attacks by Russia are not complying with international humanitarian law. OHCHR. (2022,
July 5). Retrieved August 13, 2022, from https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/07/high-
commissioner-human-rights-high-numbers-civilian-casualties-ukraine