Six In The Morning Wednesday 16 March 2022

 

'We all will be judged.' Russian prisoners of war voice disquiet, shame over war in Ukraine

By Tim Lister and Sebastian Shukla, CNN

Updated 0946 GMT (1746 HKT) March 16, 2022

"I want to tell our commander-in-chief to stop terror acts in Ukraine because when we come back we'll rise against him."

Russian President Vladimir Putin "has given orders to commit crimes. It's not just to demilitarize Ukraine or defeat the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but now cities of peaceful civilians are being destroyed."

"The crimes that we committed; we all will be judged."

These are the voices of Russian prisoners of war now held by Ukraine.

(Note) It's a violation of prisoners of war rights to parade them before the news media. As it's seen as forced confession. 

Widespread abuses since Myanmar coup may amount to war crimes, says UN report

UN rights office warns military has shown ‘flagrant disregard for human life’ and has deliberately targeted civilians since it seized power on 1 February 2021

Rebecca Ratcliffe South-east Asia correspondent

Myanmar’s military junta has committed widespread and systematic abuses against civilians that may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, according to the first comprehensive report to be produced by the UN’s human rights office since last year’s coup.

The UN rights office warns the military has shown “flagrant disregard for human life” and has deliberately targeted civilians since it seized power on 1 February 2021.

The report details numerous atrocities by the military, including the bombardment of populated areas with airstrikes and heavy weapons, and a series of mass killings of civilians. It cites cases where civilians have been shot in the head, burned to death, arbitrarily arrested, tortured or used as human shields.

Russian forces ‘shoot and kill 10 people queuing for bread’ in Chernihiv, US claims

‘Such horrific attacks must stop’, the US embassy in Kyiv says

Laurie Churchman

Russian forces have shot and killed 10 people queuing for bread in the northern city of Chernihiv, according to the US embassy in Kyiv.

“Such horrific attacks must stop,” it said.

“We are considering all available options to ensure accountability for any atrocity crimes in Ukraine.”

The embassy did not cite what evidence it had of the attack in a statement posted on its official Twitter and Facebook pages.

Who are the Indians supporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine?

India's government is holding back from condemning Russia's war as a movement supporting Moscow is growing on social media and among right wing groups.

In New Delhi earlier this month, members of Hindu Sena, an Indian right-wing organisation, organized a demonstration in support of Russia and its invasion of Ukraine.

Marching in the heart of the capital for almost an hour, the demonstrators held signs reading "Russia, you fight, we are with you" and "Long live India-Russia ties." Other signs explicitly supported the invasion and an "undivided Russia."

Brazil awards Bolsonaro 'medal of indigenous merit'

 The Justice Ministry awarded President Jair Bolsonaro Brazil's "medal of indigenous merit" Wednesday, drawing criticism for granting the honor to a leader that indigenous groups accuse of "genocide" and "ecocide."

Justice Minister Anderson Torres awarded the medal to his boss and 25 other honorees "in recognition of their significant altruistic service for the well-being, protection and defense of indigenous communities," said a decree published in the official gazette.

Torres also granted the medal to himself, Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina, Infrastructure Minister Tarcisio Gomes and Defense Minister Walter Braga Netto.

Two British-Iranians leave Iran after lengthy prison terms

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori depart for the UK as Iran releases Morad Tahbaz from prison on furlough.

Two detained British-Iranians, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori, have left Iran after lengthy prison terms, and third, Morad Tahbaz, has been released from prison on furlough.

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed the development on Wednesday after the Iranian media said the British government had paid Tehran 400-million-pound ($520m) pre-Islamic Revolution debt.

“I can confirm Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori will return to the UK today, and Morad Tahbaz has been released from prison on furlough. They will be reunited with their families later today,” Truss wrote on Twitter.