PILPG Circle of Former Ambassadors to the UN Human Rights Council Releases Statement in response to the Amnesty International Press Release titled “Ukrainian tactics endangers civilians” dated August 4, 2022.

August 15, 2022

The Circle of Former Ambassadors acknowledges the vital work of Amnesty International. However, they express concern regarding the impact that the August 4 Press Release may have on the tragic war in Ukraine. Specifically, the Russian Government has already demonstrated using it as the pretext to defend its unjustified aggression and continued human rights violations and international humanitarian law in Ukraine.

The Circle of Former Ambassadors calls on Amnesty International and its International Secretariat leadership team to acknowledge that they made an error by prematurely publishing this Press Release and take appropriate action to recall it immediately. They call on human rights organizations to prioritize accountability for gross human rights violations, flagrant international law breaches by Russia, and justice for all affected populations.

The Public International Law & Policy Group convened a Circle of Former Ambassadors to the United Nations Human Rights Council, a group of eight former Ambassadors, including two former Presidents of the Council - Ambassador Joachim Rücker (2015) and Ambassador Vojislav Šuc (2019). The Ambassadors Circle shares PILPG's commitment to work for democracy and transitional justice and advocates for all the victims and survivors of human rights abuses.

Click here to read the full statement.