Seeking Justice for War Crimes in Ukraine: Daily Brief

With the death toll increasing in Ukraine and frequent reports of new war crimes, the international community has an urgent responsibility to send a clear message to those who commit war crimes, that wanton slaughter could one day lead to a prison cell. Governments, international organizations, and civil society need to cooperate to ensure effective, impartial justice for the atrocities being committed in Ukraine. That was the message that Human Rights Watch conveyed during a meeting at the United Nations Security Council in New York on Wednesday. Among the speakers were Human Rights Watch's Crisis and Conflict director Ida Sawyer (live from Kyiv, via videolink) and Executive Director Ken Roth, International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, Amal Clooney (Clooney Foundation for Justice), and Prosecutor General of Ukraine Iryna Venediktova. You can watch a recording of this important event here. And in case you missed our Twitter Space on the need for accountability for war crimes in Ukraine, you can listen to it here.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has worsened the food security crisis in many African countries. Across the continent, countries rely entirely on Russia and Ukraine for a significant percentage of their wheat, fertilizer, or vegetable oils imports, but the war disrupts global commodity markets and trade flows to Africa, increasing already high food prices in the region. Even countries that import little from the two countries are indirectly impacted by higher world prices for key commodities. Governments and donors should ensure affordable food access in Africa by scaling up economic and emergency assistance and social protection efforts. Otherwise, millions of people across the African continent may experience hunger. 

New HRW research shows how security forces in Sudan have unlawfully detained hundreds of protesters since December 2021 and forcibly disappeared scores as part of its broader clampdown on opposition to the October 25 military coup. Members of the security forces have beaten and otherwise ill-treated detained protesters, including stripping child detainees naked and threatening sexual violence against women. The regime should release all those unlawfully detained, including those forcibly disappeared, while Sudan’s international partners should impose targeted individual sanctions on those responsible for the repression. “The ruthless and brutal targeting of protesters is an attempt to instill fear, and has largely evaded international scrutiny,” says Mohamed Osman, Sudan researcher at HRW.

The European Union’s proposed batteries regulation should require importers and manufacturers to source the bauxite, copper, and iron used in batteries responsibly, a coalition of 16 organizations said today. The coalition includes Amnesty International, Earthworks, Finnwatch, Germanwatch, Human Rights Watch, Inclusive Development International, INKOTA, PowerShift, RAID, SOMO, and Transport & Environment, as well as human rights and environmental activists from producer countries. “The European Union’s vital work to ensure that battery supply chains are free from human rights and environmental harms will fall short if it excludes bauxite, copper, and iron,” says Jim Wormington, Senior Corporate Accountability Researcher and Advocate at HRW. 

And we have some advice for Elon Musk, the new owner of Twitter.