Editorial|Editorial
Independent human rights organizations do important work in telling uncomfortable truths. However, in the current climate it is difficult to get the right message across, and Amnesty did not succeed in reporting on the actions of the Ukrainian army fighting a defensive war.
8.8. 16:30
Independent the work of human rights organizations in unstable crisis areas around the world is dangerous and uncertain. Organizations are under pressure, and many authoritarian countries ban their activities.
The reports of human rights organizations bring out harsh things that are often difficult to face. Now Amnesty International got into the eye of the storm – in the middle of Europe. Amnesty also received direct hatred in Finland for reporting critically on the tactics of the Ukrainian army.
According to Amnesty, the Ukrainian army endangers the civilian population when it deploys troops among civilians. The report’s content can be criticized, even more so Amnesty’s communication. If the report is read separately from previous reports about Russia, it gives a misleading picture of the events, and understandably angers people. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi accused Amnesty of shifting responsibility from the attacker to the victim. The organization has indeed apologized for its communication, but it stands by the content of the report.
War that follows the rules is an illusion. Russia violates the rules of war, and so does the Ukrainian army, according to Amnesty. However, there is a clear difference in the size category. Russia is waging a brutal war of aggression in Ukraine, Ukraine is persistently defending its existence.
That’s no reason to turn a blind eye. The possible human rights violations and war crimes committed by the Ukrainian army and soldiers cannot be kept quiet because Russia’s war crimes are much worse.
Questioning the work of human rights organizations for political reasons may be tempting, but it would be in conflict with international law and human rights obligations – Western values. The work of independent human rights monitors is vital for everyone, but the work and the communication about it require an eye for the game in order for the organizations to remain credible. In the midst of an explosive information war, Amnesty also has reason for self-criticism.
However, the requirement to maintain credibility in communication does not mean that the message of human rights reporters should be pleasing.
The editorials are HS’s positions on a current topic. The articles are prepared by HS’s editorial department, and they reflect the journal principle line.
#Editorial #Messages #human #rights #organizations #rarely #pleasant
