HRN has released a statement strongly condemning the Russian military invasion against Ukraine. You can read the statement below and download it in PDF format from the following link: HRN_Statement_on_Ukraine.pdf
Statement strongly condemning the Russian military invasion against Ukraine
Human Rights Now, an international human rights NGO based in Tokyo, Japan, strongly condemns the invasion of Ukraine by Russian military forces in February 2022.
The use of force for military invasion is a grave violation of the UN Charter, which prohibits the use of force as a fundamental principle, and a serious violation of the right to life and security of the civilian population of Ukraine. It should be noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that the de facto reason for the invasion is to protect the people of Ukraine, who he claims have been subjected to threats and genocide for the past eight years, and that he is aiming to demilitarize and de-Nazify Ukraine in order to protect them, but he has provided no concrete evidence of such massive human rights violations. Even if this were true, the UN Charter does not allow the use of force for this purpose at the discretion of a single country.
According to media reports, the military invasion has already claimed the lives of Ukrainian citizens and caused casualties. In addition, major cities have been targeted all over Ukraine, including the capital Kiev, terrorizing many citizens and destroying their daily lives.
What is more, President Putin has threatened Ukraine and neighboring countries by conducting military exercises simulating the use of nuclear weapons while referring to Russia as a nuclear power. The threat or use of nuclear weapons is a serious violation of international law that should never be tolerated, and Russia’s actions jeopardize the world’s move toward denuclearization.
Human Rights Now calls on Russia to immediately cease all military operations in Ukraine and to withdraw all troops from Ukraine. We also call for the immediate release and humanitarian treatment of those being detained in Russia for opposing the war.
Further, Human Rights Now calls on the international community not to tolerate Russia’s violations of international law and to demonstrate its condemnation of the invasion through joint action, to make efforts for peaceful resolution of the conflict, to respect victims’ most fundamental human rights, and to save the lives of victims and accept evacuees. We also call for the monitoring and recording of all actions by the Russian military, and the thorough pursuit of accountability for this military invasion and the resulting human rights violations in accordance with international humanitarian and criminal law.