Ukrainian Politicians Declare Vast Wealth

By Sarah Lafen

Impunity Watch Desk Reporter, Europe

KIEV, Ukraine — As part of an anti-corruption reform, thousands of senior Ukrainian political officials were required to declare expensive possessions and assets held in their own and their families’ names in a public online database, revealing much higher levels of wealth than expected.  The system for declaring these assets was developed based on the guidelines of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Yegor Sobolev, a lawmaker and head of the Ukrainian parliament's committee on fighting corruption, points to the e-declaration system on a computer screen (Photo Courtesy of Reuters)
Yegor Sobolev, a lawmaker and head of the Ukrainian parliament’s committee on fighting corruption, points to the e-declaration system on a computer screen (Photo Courtesy of Reuters)

Officials claimed everything from Fabergé eggs, to a fleet of luxury cars, to a collection of expensive watches, to large pieces of land.  One official claimed to own his own personal church, and another claimed ownership over 1,780 bottles of wine.  The Ukrainian Prime Minister, Volodymyr Groysman, declared $1.2 million.  24 members of the Ukrainian cabinet have a combined $7 million in cash alone.  The average salary in Ukraine is just over $200 per month.

Current Ukrainian President, Petro Poroshenko, is a billionaire himself however has promised to set forth a more transparent type of politics.  Poroshenko called the public declarations of wealth “a truly historic event of openness and transparency.” Anders Fogh Rasmussen, adviser to Poroshenko, believes that the declaration “is of paramount importance and all of Europe should take notice and applaud this important step.”  Kristina Berdynskyh, a journalist who specializes on corruption among the elite, said that it is amazing how much information has been released.

Critics of the declaration and Poroshenko’s goal say that the reform of the Ukrainian political system has stalled, and the government has made little effort to actually transform Ukrainian politics.  One Ukrainian reporter referred to the Ukrainian officials as “moral degenerates.”  Roman Donik, a volunteer soldier to the Ukrainian troops, expressed in a Facebook post that he “had no illusions about our political and official elite. But all the same, what’s come out is beyond the pale.”

Now that the declarations have been disclosed, the anti-corruption agency will begin to verify and investigate.  Many will look to see how the authorities will handle the results, however, as over 100,000 forms were submitted.  The Ukrainian UNDP director Janthomas Hiemstra assured that “[t]he international community, including the U.N., will be behind Ukraine in these next steps because the e-declaration is only the first step. What comes after is maybe even more difficult.”

 

For more information, please see:

The Guardian — Ukraine Stunned as Vast Cash Reserves of Public Elite are made Public — 31 October 2016

Reuters — Ukrainians Shocked as Politicians Declare Vast Wealth — 31 October 2016

RT — Politicians in Debt-Stricken Ukraine Reveal Lavish Fortunes, Spark Public Outcry — 31 October 2016

The Washington Post — Ukrainian Officials Disclose their Wealth in e-Declarations — 31 October 2016

ISIS Using Thousands of Civilians as “Human Shields”

by Yesim Usluca
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

BAGHDAD, Iraq — The UN stated that ISIS has executed over 200 people near the city of Mosul and has taken thousands of individuals hostage to use as “human shields” against Iraqi forces.

ISIS is using thousands of civilians as “human shields” (Photo courtesy of ABC News)

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stated that ISIS carried out the mass execution as revenge against individuals who refused its orders to join them. The UN further noted that it fears the group intends on using those held hostage as “human shields” against the advance of Iraqi forces on Mosul.

High numbers of civilian deaths have been reported over the last week as ISIS attempts to gather people into its last major stronghold in Iraq. Over 7,500 families have reportedly been abducted by ISIS at gunpoint from surrounding Iraqi cities and have been moved to “strategic locations where ISIS fighters are located.” The civilian death toll is expected to grow exponentially once ISIS enters Mosul, which is Iraq’s second largest city.

The use of human shields is banned under international humanitarian law. The UN refugee agency stated that it is considered a violation of the right to not be arbitrarily deprived of life. The Deputy Director for Research at Amnesty International further stated that using a civilian to “shield yourself from attack is a war crime.”

An increasing number of civilians have been fleeing their homes as the fighting around Mosul intensifies. The International Organization for Migration reported that the operation in Mosul has displaced over 16,000 people thus far. UNICEF warned of an impending, “unprecedented humanitarian crisis” due to the millions of civilians that are expected to escape the city in the upcoming days and weeks.

Some civilians who were able to flee indicated that ISIS fighters had deliberately prevented them from escaping conflict areas. One civilian recounted an attack in which ISIS fighters based in a neighbor’s house shot his brother. Due to the ongoing crossfire, they were unable to escape their home for two days, during which his brother lost consciousness from severe blood loss. He was only able to carry his brother to a hospital after an air strike created an opportunity for escape. Another civilian reported that he lost his wife after she was struck by a mortar because ISIS fighters would not let them leave their house. He further stated that the fighters shot at neighbors who tried to escape.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights indicated that ISIS’ “depraved, cowardly strategy” is to use the presence of civilians to render certain areas immune from military operations by effectively using thousands of men, women and children as “human shields.” The Commissioner urged those fighting ISIS to withhold revenge attacks. He further called on the government of Iraq to ensure the application of international humanitarian law.

For more information, please see:

ABC News—ISIS Using Tens of Thousands as ‘Human Shields’ as Iraqi-Led Forces Advance on Mosul—28 October 2016

Daily Mail—ISIS slaughters more than 200 people and abduct nearly 8,000 families to use as human shields as it retreats into the centre of Mosul—28 October 2016

Amnesty International—Iraq: new testimony shows ISIS taking human shields in battle for Mosul—27 October 2016

CNN—ISIS ‘executes’ 232 near Mosul, takes thousands as human shields, UN says—28 October 2016

The Guardian —Islamic State using hostages as human shields in Mosul – UN—28 October 2016

Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect: Atrocity Alert: Central African Republic, Iraq, Syria and Eritrea

Atrocity Alert is a weekly publication by the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect highlighting and updating situations where populations are at risk of, or are enduring, mass atrocity crimes.

Central African Republic

On 28 October clashes between ex-Seleka and anti-Balaka militias near Bambari resulted in 15 people killed. The following day at least 10 people, including 6 gendarmes and 4 civilians, were also killed in an ambush outside Bambari. These attacks are part of a growing trend of violence that is threatening to destabilize the Central African Republic (CAR) and reignite widespread violence throughout the country. Despite the growing risk to vulnerable civilians, on 31 October France concluded Operation Sangaris, withdrawing 2,000 French troops that had supported the UN Mission in CAR throughout the conflict. The UN Deputy Secretary-General, Jan Eliasson, is currently on a two-day mission to CAR to meet with the new government, visit camps for internally displaced persons and receive updates on demobilization, disarmament and reintegration programs.

MINUSCA: The UN Deputy Secretary-General and Special Representative of the Secretary General to CAR meet with President Touadera

Iraq

On 28 October the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) announced that as coalition forces advance on Mosul, there have been credible reports that the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) is moving civilians to strategic locations to be used as human shields. Initial reports suggested nearly 8,000 families had been abducted from districts around Mosul, and at least 232 civilians were killed by ISIL on 26 October alone. OHCHR subsequently reported that ISIL had attempted to forcibly transfer another 25,000 civilians, but these efforts were largely unsuccessful. On 1 November Iraqi forces breached Mosul’s city limits – the first time government forces have entered the city in over 2 years. At least 17,748 people have been internally displaced since the start of the offensive on 17 October, and thousands more are expected to flee as the fighting intensifies. It is essential that all parties participating in the battle for Mosul take effective measures to ensure the protection of all civilians in accordance with international humanitarian law.

IOM: Mosul

Syria

Following two attacks on schools in Idlib governorate and western Aleppo last week that resulted in over 25 children killed, the UN Security Council issued a Press Statement on 28 October condemning the attacks and calling for impartial investigations. Meanwhile the Syrian opposition has launched another offensive to break the siege of eastern Aleppo. Both the UN Secretary-General and his Special Envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, condemned the use of indiscriminate weapons by armed opposition groups. Some groups have indiscriminately attacked the suburbs of western Aleppo, damaging civilian infrastructure and resulting in the deaths of more than 30 civilians, including at least 10 children, since 29 October.

UNHCR

Eritrea

On 28 October the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea briefed the UN General Assembly and asserted that since 1991 populations have endured crimes against humanity perpetrated by the government. The Special Rapporteur was presenting the final report of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Eritrea, which found that “the crimes of enslavement, imprisonment, enforced disappearances, torture, other inhumane acts, persecution, rape and murder have been committed as part of a widespread and systematic campaign against the civilian population.” Noting that the government lacks the political will and capacity to prosecute these crimes, the Commission strongly recommended that the UN Security Council refer the situation in Eritrea to the International Criminal Court.

UN Photo: UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea.