Russia has again been singled out by the UN for human rights abuses. This time it is the Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. A panel of experts related to human rights. They denounce “ incitement to racial hatred and the spread of racist stereotypes against Ukrainians “.
The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination is one of the most consensual texts of international law. Almost all countries have ratified it. Russia even did it before France and the United States, reports our correspondent in Geneva, Jeremy Lance.
Except that Moscow is blithely violating its obligations in the context of the conflict in Ukraine. In their report, the experts denounce the spread of hate speech against Ukrainians by Russian officials and in the media; the overrepresentation of ethnic minorities among the soldiers sent to the front; torture and extrajudicial executions of Ukrainians at the hands of the Russian army and paramilitary forces, the Wagner militia.
In its findings regarding Russia, the committee says “ deeply concerned ” by “ incitement to racial hatred and the spread of racist stereotypes against ethnic Ukrainians, in particular on public radio and television, on the internet and in social media, as well as by public figures and representatives of the government “.
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Deportation of Ukrainian children
The committee also mentions the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russian territory. They would be thousands. But the committee is careful not to put forward a figure. As often, human rights experts worked blind or almost: Russia simply refused to answer them on the Ukrainian conflict.
The committee also finds that the definition of ” terrorist activities appearing in the Russian legislative framework is “ excessively broad and vague “. Such a vague definition jeopardizes the legitimate exercise of the rights to freedom of expression and association ” And “ is applied to target the operations and activities of civil society organizations, journalists and human rights defenders “, they believe.
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