10 August 2022
In a meeting yesterday with Amnesty International Australia (AI Australia), the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations (AFUO) strongly condemned the report released by Amnesty International which makes claims that equate the Ukrainian military’s defensive actions to the tactics of the invading Russian army, and joined international calls for the report to be withdrawn.
“We believe the report is fundamentally flawed, detracts from Russian war crimes occurring daily in Ukraine, and plays into Russian propaganda narratives which seek to sow doubt and confusion about the moral imperatives of a war being fought against an attacker,” said Mr Stefan Romaniw OAM, AFUO Co-Chair.
“In our meeting we asked AI Australia how they intend to stand with Ukraine. We asked them to support the withdrawal of the report; an investigation into its production; the stepping down of Ms Callamard, the Secretary General; and the issue of a formal apology to the Ukrainian people who are forced to live with the reality of Russian invasion and occupation,” said Mr Romaniw.
“The Chair of AI Australia has promised to take our concerns to a meeting of the 60 chapters of Amnesty International. We hope AI Australia will step up and defend truth, justice and human rights,” said Mr Romaniw.
“Disturbingly, the Russian government is already using the Amnesty Report to justify further attacks on civilian areas and infrastructure. This report makes it likely that even more innocent Ukrainian lives will be lost.
“The report also plays directly into Russian campaigns to discredit Ukraine, and increase the pressure for Ukraine to stop receiving western weapons and start a ceasefire and “peace talks”,” he added.
The Amnesty International report has been widely condemned for getting the law wrong about defensive operations in urban warfare; failing to conduct a proper investigation; and not taking into account the reality that the Ukrainian government is attempting to defend its population from the savagery of the Russian army and systematic war crimes.
Amnesty International also ignored the expertise of the Amnesty International Ukrainian office and only made token efforts to obtain comment from the Ukrainian military prior to the release of the report.
In Sydney yesterday the local Australian-Ukrainian community rallied outside the Amnesty International Australian office and will do so again on Thursday 11 August at 12 pm, 79 Myrtle Street Chippendale.
Media inquiries: Stefan Romaniw 0419 531 255
Image source: https://twitter.com/GenderInDetail/status/1555943354411663360
