The extent of the destruction that Russia is inflicting on Ukraine will make itself felt in the rights of future generations, said the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, on Tuesday.
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“The war in Ukraine has resulted in shocking levels of civilian casualties and destruction,” Turk said during his speech at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
“The rights of Ukrainians will be affected for generations to come, and the effects of the war on fuel and food prices, as well as geopolitical tensions, are punishing the population of all regions of the world,” he said.
“The fact that a war in Europe could wreak havoc again around the world is a betrayal of the promises of change” made after World War II, he said.
Mr. Turk also expressed concern about the trends observed in Russia.
He cited the closure of the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta and the oldest human rights organization, the Moscow Helsinki Group, as “a new sign of the end of Russian public space.”
“Continuous pro-war messages in the public media feed stereotypes and fuel hatred and violence,” he said.
He pointed out that more than 180 criminal investigations have been launched in Russia for defamation of the armed forces, including a journalist and a city deputy.
“As of December, any person or entity deemed ‘foreign influenced’ – a vague qualification – can be labeled a ‘foreign agent’ and subject to numerous restrictions,” he said.
He also referred to laws that crack down on “propaganda of non-traditional relationships” and that extend to any information about sexual minorities.