The director of Amnesty International’s office in Ukraine resigned, saying the human rights organization dismissed her opposition to the publication of a report which claimed that Ukrainian forces exposed their civilian population to Russian attacks by standing in populated areas.
In a message posted on Facebook on Friday, Oksana Pokalchuk accused the organization she worked for of underestimating the realities of the war in Ukraine and the concerns of local office members who had pushed for the published report to be revised.
The document, released Thursday, drew furious criticism from senior Ukrainian officials and Western diplomats, who accused the authors of making vague accusations that appeared to equate the defensive actions of Ukrainian forces with the tactics of the Russian invaders.
“It is painful to admit, but I and Amnesty International leaders are divided on values,” Pokalchuk wrote. “I believe that any work done for the good of society must take into account the local context and think about the consequences.”
Russia has repeatedly justified attacks on civilian areas, saying Ukrainian fighters had established positions in the targeted areas.
Pokalchuk said his office had asked the organization’s leaders to give Ukraine’s Defense Ministry adequate time to respond to the report’s findings, arguing that failure to do so would fuel the Kremlin’s disinformation and propaganda efforts. propaganda.
“I am convinced that our investigations must be conducted thoroughly, taking into account the people whose lives depend directly on the words and actions of international organizations,” she said.
In a press release accompanying the report’s release, Amnesty International Secretary General Agnes Callamard said the organization had “documented a pattern of Ukrainian forces putting civilians in harm’s way and violating the laws of war when operating in populated areas.
“Being in a defensive position does not exempt Ukrainian forces from respecting international law,” she said Thursday.
Russian state media cited the report to support Moscow’s claims that Russia was only attacking military targets in the war. The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman cited the AI report as proof that Ukraine was using civilians as human shields.
Numerous Western international law and military experts took to social media to reject the human shield accusation. They said the report contained vague wording that blurred legal distinctions and ignored combat conditions in Ukraine.