Russian ombudsman calls for inquiry into mass grave found near Donetsk
MOSCOW. Sept 24 (Interfax) - Russian Human Rights Ombudsman Ella Pamfilova has called on international human rights organizations to investigate the "mass grave" of civilians and militiamen discovered on the premises of mine No 22 near Donetsk.
"I have just learned about this terrifying discovery and I still cannot believe such things could happen in the center of Europe in the 21st century. I would like to ask everyone able to influence this situation, both the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, every authoritative human rights organization, including Human Rights Watch and, definitely, Ukrainian and Russian human rights organizations, to do their best to investigate this terrible tragedy," Pamfilova told Interfax on Tuesday.
She said she was ready to visit the site and take part in the investigation.
"I call on my colleague, Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Valeria Lutkovska, to join me and help investigate this event," Pamfilova said.
In turn, Russian Foreign Ministry Ombudsman for Human Rights Konstantin Dolgov said the "mass graves" discovered near Donetsk "were a trace of another humanitarian crime committed by Ukrainian law enforcement officers and nationalist radicals."
"This barbarous murder of civilians further emphasizes the need to hold an inquiry into humanitarian crimes in Ukraine under international control. The international community should insist on the inescapable punishment of the culprits for those crimes," Dolgov tweeted on Tuesday.
A representative of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) Investigative Committee told Interfax earlier that day that a mass grave of civilians and DPR fighters was found on the premises of mine No 22 in the Kommunar town, 60 kilometers from Donetsk. The detective said two graves were found, one containing the bodies of four civilians and the other with the bodies of five DPR fighters.
He said the Ukrainian National Guard held positions on that site a few days earlier.
The National Guard press service responded on Tuesday, "Not a single National Guard unit had been stationed in that area or near it."
