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I’ve written repeatedly in this newsletter about Russia’s war crimes in its atrocity-ridden invasion and occupation of Ukraine. I’ve also described here various sham court cases inside Russia, where the authorities are simply ignoring fundamental rights and destroying the very concept of justice.

These two themes come together in today’s main story.

Russia’s Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don has launched criminal proceedings against 13 men and 9 women from the Ukrainian “Azov” Brigade.

In the spirit of complete lawlessness at the heart of Kremlin thinking, the defendants are being prosecuted on several charges, including actions supposedly directed at overthrowing Russia-backed authorities in occupied parts of Ukraine and involvement in the activities of a “terrorist organization.” 

But here’s the thing: most of the defendants standing trial in Rostov are members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The Azov Brigade is a formation of Ukraine’s National Guard that engages in military operations as a part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

This means that now, in Russian detention, they are prisoners of war (POWs). Having POW status means they are entitled to all the protections afforded POWs as set out in the Third Geneva Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

Under the Geneva Conventions, you cannot prosecute prisoners of war for participation in the conflict. Doing so is actually a war crime.

What’s more, the Geneva Conventions also ensure POWs cannot be prosecuted for offenses committed before their capture if they were not crimes at the time. So, Russia cannot prosecute these soldiers for being Azov Brigade members, because the Russian government only designated the Azov Brigade a “terrorist organization” three months after their capture.

There’s a third grim aspect to these criminal proceedings. During a recent court hearing, at least three defendants said they suffered ill-treatment in detention and signed confessions under duress. Courtroom photos from the hearing show the defendants exhausted and thin.

It’s a terrible trifecta. Prosecuting prisoners of war for participation in the conflict, depriving them of their fair trial rights, and subjecting them to torture or inhuman treatment are all breaches of the Geneva Conventions and war crimes.

These sham proceedings against the Azov Brigade are yet another example of Russia showing complete disregard for international law in its bloody invasion of Ukraine.

Volkswagen has announced plans to conduct an “independent audit” of its plant in Xinjiang, China.

It’s welcome news on the face of it. For years, Chinese authorities have been committing crimes against humanity targeting Uyghur Muslims and other minority communities in Xinjiang, and rights groups have been pushing companies operating there to confront the scale and severity of the abuses.

Forced labor in the car industry in Xinjiang is well documented, and Volkswagen is right to be concerned.

However, it’s not clear how the company will actually conduct an “independent audit.” Given all-pervasive surveillance and repression in the region, it’s hard to imagine an auditing team just being able to show up unannounced and speak to workers without their fearing reprisals.

And even if that were possible, what would the company be able to do about violations of labor rights and other abuses if they found them? Chinese authorities in Xinjiang have shown no interest in responding to outside concerns.

Don’t get me wrong. It would be great if Volkswagen somehow manages to convince Xinjiang authorities to allow the auditing team the unfettered access it needs to be credible. And maybe authorities would listen to a major international company more than they’ve listen to other outsiders.

But I fear this might end up being another choreographed circus like many high-profile visits in the past. Recall, for example, UN high commissioner for human rights Michelle Bachelet’s disastrous trip in 2022, and various visits by Arab League diplomats and tourists – used by Chinese state media to try to cover up crimes in Xinjiang.

We’ll be watching…

(written by Lisa Maier) 

Rasan Organization, the only human rights group in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq vocally supporting LGBT rights, was ordered to shut down due to “its activities in the field of homosexuality.” 

Strangely, it was not Rasan’s “activities” the judge had issues with exactly but the organization’s logo. The rainbow design, the court order says, “is a complete expression of its activities in the field of homosexuality.”

Rasan only found out about the issue with the logo when the court decision was published. They hadn’t been expecting any action against them.

The organization has appealed but is unable to continue operating while the appeal is pending. 

The closure of Rasan is part of a broader pattern of oppression and targeting of LGBT people and activists by local Kurdish authorities in recent years. 

Authorities should not be punishing organizations that do nothing more than support one of the most vulnerable groups of society.  

(compiled by Lisa Maier)

• Uganda: Oil pipeline project impoverishes thousands (HRW) 
• Sudan on brink of “full-scale civil war” according to UN (DW) 
• Migrant shipwreck in Greece: New investigation suggests coastguard responsible for sinking (The Guardian) 
• Tunisia: Crisis as Black Africans expelled to Libya border (HRW) 

It’s time once again to test your knowledge of recent human rights news with our 5-question quiz.

Our look at the problems of cluster munitions in Ukraine, and in particular the threat unexploded bomblets pose to civilians for years to come, was quoted in several media outlets around the world, including the Financial Times and the i paper in the UK.