UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay has expressed deep concern about the reports on the death of people, in particular a five-year-old girl, in Donetsk and Luhansk.
“She [Pillay] is particularly concerned about the statement posted on the Web site of one of the leaders of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic that minor children and women are legitimate targets and the goal is to “immerse them in horror,” Pillay said citing the statement to Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry.
In particular, the UN official noted that her authority daily receives reports of abduction by armed groups, damaged homes, schools and infrastructure, including water and electricity supply enterprises, as well as the use of antipersonnel mines.
“The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission has the information that armed groups use the roofs of residential buildings to install air defense systems and occupy private apartments for placing sniper positions, endangering people who do not take part in hostilities,” reads the report.
“More and more residents of Luhansk and Donetsk regions were forced to leave their homes, while others were trapped in the area of heavy fighting, their basic human rights are violated, the climate of insecurity and fear is becoming more common,” Pillay said.
She welcomed the signs of a possible suspension of fire and called on all the parties to adhere to it.
