The War Between Russia and Ukraine: Live Updates – The New York Times

The discovery of hundreds of bodies buried in a forest near the northeastern Ukrainian city of Izyum this week has shed new light on possible war crimes and sparked fresh calls for Russia to be held accountable for any abuses committed during its occupation of the city.

Investigators say the discoveries remind what is vast Evidence of the atrocities committed by Russian soldiers In cities such as Bucha near Kyiv. But many of the bodies have not been identified, and the causes of death, or even the number of civilians and the number of soldiers, are still unknown.

As work continues to elucidate how the deaths occurred at Isium, Anthony J. Blinken, the US secretary of state, said on Friday it was necessary to push for legal accountability.

At a press conference in Washington, he said, “It is important that the Ukrainians do everything in their power to reclaim the land that Russia captured in this aggression, and at the same time we are all working on building evidence and documenting the atrocities committed.”

“In many cases, these will be war crimes,” he added.

Indiscriminate attacks on Ukrainian civilians have become Distinctive feature of the conquest of Russiaincluding devastating strikes on hospitals, private residences and other targets that killed and injured thousands.

After the withdrawal of Russian forces from Bucha in April, signs were left Atrocities are in their wake.

Investigators building war crimes cases face enormous challenges. More than six months after the war, there is an example Up to 20,000 ongoing war crimes investigationsWith many states and international agencies at work, the burden of proof is large to reach conviction.

In his Friday evening address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated some of what was found at Izyum and said there was “evidence of torture and degrading treatment of people”.

“The world has to react to all of this,” he said.

Next week, he will get the attention of world leaders. United Nations General Assembly Vote on Friday To allow him to deliver a pre-recorded speech at the World Leaders Meeting in New York, except on the condition that all leaders speak in person.

A war crime is an act committed during an armed conflict that violates international humanitarian laws designed to protect civilians. The rules of war have been codified in various treaties, including the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907.

What complicates efforts to prosecute potential war crimes perpetrators is that investigators are working while the war is still raging. The Kremlin denied the allegations against its forces, the Kremlin denied the allegations against its forces, and the Russian Defense Ministry He described the graphic evidence of the atrocities as “fake”.

In The Hague in July, representatives of 45 countries, including the United States and European Union countries, heard testimonies about the atrocities and She pledged about $20 million To assist the International Criminal Court and the Prosecutor of Ukraine and the efforts of the United Nations.

Experts say the International Criminal Court, established in 1998 to deal with mass atrocity cases, could be an important way to hold Russia to account, although there are hurdles. Neither Russia nor Ukraine were among the court’s 123 member states, but Ukraine did give the court jurisdiction to consider crimes committed on its territory.

Potential war crimes are investigated as any suspected criminal activity would be through interviewing witnesses, reviewing photos and videos, and gathering forensic evidence, including through ballistics analysis, autopsies and DNA testing. Prosecutors must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that people committed the crimes intentionally.

It is more difficult to prove the extent to which heads of state knew or were directly responsible for what happened under their leadership. The history of war crimes cases indicates that prosecutors face the formidable challenge of holding Russian President Vladimir Putin to account.

Three of the most notable trials in history – against Slobodan Milosevic of Yugoslavia, Charles Taylor of Liberia and Saddam Hussein in Iraq – were brought against leaders who had fallen from power. No current president has been handed over to an international court.