The head of the Ukrainian office of human rights organization Amnesty International has resigned after the publication of a report critical of the Ukrainian army. Oksana Pokalchuk announced the move late Friday night and accused Amnesty of hijacking Russian propaganda. Amnesty sparked outrage in Kiev with the report presented Thursday.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused the organization of “putting victims and attackers on the same level, so to speak”. In the report, Amnesty International accused the Ukrainian military of endangering civilians by setting up bases in residential areas, schools and hospitals.
Indescribable pain of war
“Unless you live in a country being invaded by occupiers tearing it to pieces, you probably don’t understand what it’s like to condemn an army of defenders,” Pokalchuk said. “And there are no words in any language that can convey that to someone who hasn’t experienced that pain.”
Pokalchuk said she tried to warn Amnesty officials that the report was one-sided and did not adequately reflect Ukraine’s position. However, she was ignored.
No comment
Amnesty says the organization contacted officials from Ukraine’s defense ministry on July 29, but they have not responded in time to a request for comment on the report’s findings before it is released on August 4.
Pokalchuk, on the other hand, said that was not nearly enough. “As a result, the organization accidentally released a statement that sounded like support for the Russian narrative. Instead, in an effort to protect civilians, this report became a Russian propaganda tool,” she lamented. Amnesty’s secretary-general Agnes Callamard said on Friday that the organization “stays intact” with its report.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
