SHOULD human rights organisations say sorry to the aggressors for publishing allegations of their abuses? Yes, if they got the allegations wrong. For false allegations are an enemy of justice.
No, if they got them right, even if the aggressors demand it. On Aug 7, Amnesty International did an uncommon thing. It said sorry to Ukraine for publishing a report on Aug 4 — whose findings the rights organisation fully endorses — that caused "distress and anger".
Much of it, though not all, was from Ukraine President Volodomyr Zelenskyy. To him, Amnesty is turning aggressor Russia into the victim. Interesting, coming as it does from Zelenskyy who not long ago, in an address to the Israeli Knesset, did the exact same thing he accused Amnesty of doing: turning aggressor Israel into the victim.
Why the distress and anger? Start with the title of Amnesty's report. "Ukraine: Ukrainian fighting tactics endanger civilians". Not a good start for Kyiv, but here is more. Military bases in residential areas, including schools. Attacks launched from civilian areas.
According to the report, Amnesty's researchers "found evidence of Ukrainian forces launching strikes from within populated residential areas as well as basing themselves in civilian buildings in 19 towns and villages." Even hospitals — in five locations — were used as de facto military bases.
To Amnesty, "such tactics violate international humanitarian law and endanger civilians, as they turn civilian objects into military targets".
The West seems to think that only one side commits war crimes: the side which it opposes. Russians, not Ukrainians. Palestinians, not Israelis. Iraqis, not the Americans (or the Ukrainians who fought there) and Afghans, not the Americans or its allies. This is self-deception.
All wars leave behind a trail of war criminals on all sides. The question is this: Is the international community on the side of justice? No. Look at how the International Criminal Court, which marches to the drum beat of the powerful West, sprang into action to launch a war crimes investigation against Russia on the second day of the Russian invasion.
Today is Day 176 of the invasion and there is no word about any investigation into the alleged war crimes committed by the Ukrainian military.
Would the ICC remain silent as it is doing about the alleged war crimes of Israeli forces? Judging from the pressure that Amnesty is facing in Kyiv and the Western capitals (not to mention its sponsors), we envisage two scenarios. In neither will Ukraine be investigated for war crimes, nor let alone be tried for committing them.
Just like Israel, the US and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation countries. In scenario one, Amnesty expunges the allegations against Ukraine as a result of financial pressure from its sponsors, if not political pressure.
There are some things that money shouldn't be able to buy, but integrity is a rare commodity. This is an unlikely scenario given the stand Amnesty has taken thus far.
A second scenario, a more likely one, is that Amnesty stands by its Aug 4 report, but it would be left to gather dust in ICC's file marked "No Further Action" on the advice of the West. Who said this is a just world?