Europe Team

This report will focus on Russia’s alleged crimes in the war in Ukraine for the purposes of cohesion and to illustrate the multifaceted nature of the alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Russian forces the third Geneva Convention.

Democratic backsliding and the erosion of human rights protections mean that politically motivated imprisonment remains widespread, including in Europe. Freedom of speech and effective political opposition are the cornerstones of democracy; the practice of imprisoning political opponents, or those with divergent political opinions, constitutes a serious attack on democracy and the rule of law. It is imperative to engage critically with emerging trends relating to political repression, arbitrary detention, and civil liberties to recognise the potential democratic threats in Europe.

The right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment has recently become even more important within the international human rights system. This right is crucial because it is connected to the life, health, safety, and dignity of all people. When the environment is polluted, degraded, or destroyed, it is very hard for people to survive, especially in areas where there is an ongoing armed conflict. Unfortunately, this right is still not fully protected in legal terms, and even less so during armed conflict. Environmental harm that is caused by war is often ignored or seen as less urgent, even when it has a long-lasting and serious impact on civilians.

The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine has shown how damaging contemporary warfare can be, especially to the environment. It has also shown the need to recognise the right to a healthy environment, and the need to strengthen the protection of this right within the International and European human rights systems.

The ongoing international armed conflict between Ukraine and Russia and its effects on the environment and people show how important it is for the international community to recognise the right to a healthy environment. During the armed conflict, whether intentionally or accidentally, the environment gets damaged, and people living in those environments have to either leave their homes or live in an unhealthy and unsafe environment, which also damages their health and well-being.

The right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment has recently become even more important within the international human rights system. This right is crucial because it is connected to the life, health, safety, and dignity of all people. When the environment is polluted, degraded, or destroyed, it is very hard for people to survive, especially in areas where there is an ongoing armed conflict. Unfortunately, this right is still not fully protected in legal terms, and even less so during armed conflict. Environmental harm that is caused by war is often ignored or seen as less urgent, even when it has a long-lasting and serious impact on civilians.