The government of United States has sent a letter to the head of human rights of the United Nations in Geneva saying he hascredible information” that the Russian forces have compiled a list of Ukrainian citizens to be killed or sent to detention camps following an invasion and Russian occupation of the country, according to a copy of the letter obtained Sunday by The New York Times.
The letter, addressed to Michelle BacheletHigh Commissioner for United Nations for Human Rights, also said that Russian forces planned to carry out widespread human rights violations, which in the past have included torture and kidnapping of civilians.
Likely targets would be people who oppose Russian actions, including dissidents from Russia and Belarus living in Ukraine, journalists, anti-corruption activists, and members of ethnic and religious minorities and the LGBTQ community.
“We also have credible information that Russian forces are likely to use lethal measures to disperse peaceful protests or to otherwise counter peaceful exercises in perceived resistance by civilians.”, says the letter, signed by Bathsheba Nell Crockerambassador of United States before the office of United Nations in Geneva.
Three US officials confirmed the authenticity of the letter and its content. On Monday, Dmitri S. Peskovspokesman for Kremlin, denied the existence of such a list. “this is totally made up”, he told reporters. “There is no such list. It is false”.
Foreign Policy reported for the first time on Friday that US agencies had information regarding a “kill listRussian, and The Washington Post It first reported the letter on Sunday.
The letter stated that the United States Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, had raised human rights concerns with the United Nations Security Council when he addressed that body on Thursday. “In particular, he stated that the United States has information indicating that Russia will target specific groups of Ukrainians.”, the letter said.
In that session, flash he told Russian officials that they might demonstrate their peaceful intentions to the world by not invading Ukraine and addressing their grievances through diplomacy. flash plans to meet with Sergey V. LavrovRussian foreign minister, in Europe this Thursday, unless Russia invades Ukraine first.
President Biden and flash have said that American intelligence indicates that the Russian president Vladimir V. Putin has already decided to invade. In the last weeks, Putin has gathered up to 190,000 soldiers around Ukraine. insurgents backed by Russia in the east they have increased their artillery shelling once morest Ukrainian military forces in recent days.
Putin invaded parts of Ukraine in 2014 and annexed the peninsula of Crimea. Biden has promised to impose harsh economic sanctions on Russia and Putin carry out another invasion.
(C) The Washington Post.-
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