Civilians Killed in Russian Attacks in Ukraine: Daily Brief

New research from Human Rights Watch found that Russian forces fired cluster munitions into at least three residential areas in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, on February 28, 2022, killing at least three civilians. There's mounting evidence of Russia's indiscriminate attacks in Ukraine, and if these deadly acts against civilians were carried out either intentionally or recklessly, they would be war crimes. The Russian military has a history of meeting resistance with serious violations of the laws of war, including deliberately targeting civilians and subjecting them to indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks. To deter such atrocities, the prospect of international prosecution for war crimes may help, but the most powerful deterrent may be the Russian people. Accountability efforts also now include a Commission of Inquiry, created today by the UN Human Rights Council by an overwhelming majority. 

Our researchers interviewed three dozen foreign nationals, many of them international students, trying to flee Ukraine over the last week. The findings revealed a pattern of blocking or delaying foreigners from boarding buses and trains, apparently to prioritize evacuating Ukrainian women and children. It's crucial that in this hard moment, authorities make it easier for everyone escaping the war to leave, no matter where they come from. People stranded at the border should also benefit from basic humanitarian assistance. Yesterday, EU member states approved to trigger the Temporary Protection Directive, allowing protection to people displaced by the war in Ukraine. This will include third-country nationals who are long-term residents of Ukraine and stateless people, as well as Ukrainian nationals.

In the meantime, ahead of the April national elections in Hungary, a pro-government newspaper is poisoning the public debate: it started a smear campaign claiming that civil society activists and independent journalists are plotting to control international media coverage. The publication of these attack pieces by a pro-government mouthpiece just two months before national elections raises serious questions...

Nine months before the World Cup is set to start in Qatar, it's more than time for FIFA to set up a system to investigate abuses against migrant workers in the country: some haven't received their salaries for up to five months. They are the ones making the World Cup possible under difficult and sometimes dangerous conditions. These abuses persist, despite several reforms that Qatar has introduced since 2015, which the government said would improve wage protection for migrant workers. These delays and uncertainty have caused an enormous amount of stress as workers rely on these wages to feed their families and ensure that their children’s education is not disrupted. 

Some positive news for the weekend: a Cameroon court has imposed a six-month prison sentence and a fine on one of the perpetrators of a violent attack on an intersex person last year, reflecting growing recognition in the country of the fundamental rights of LGBTI people. As Cameroon’s authorities are slowly recognizing these obligations, they should repeal the law criminalizing same-sex conduct and protect the rights of Cameroon’s LGBTI population on an equal basis with others and in line with international standards.