Amnesty International responds to Russia's actions at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant
OLENA ROSHCHINA – FRIDAY, 12 AUGUST 2022, 19:51
The human rights organisation Amnesty International has said that the presence of Russian troops at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) is putting civilians in harm’s way.
Source: Amnesty International on Twitter
Quote: "Russia is using a nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine as an army base. The allegations we are receiving directly from Enerhodar, the town adjacent to the nuclear plant, speak volumes about the terrible impact that Russia’s militarisation is having on civilians."
⚡️ Russia is using a nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine as an army base. The allegations we are receiving directly from Enerhodar, the town adjacent to the nuclear plant, speak volumes about the terrible impact of Russia’s militarization is having on civilians.
— Amnesty International (@amnesty) August 11, 2022
Details: Amnesty International made this statement following criticism of its report on the actions of the Ukrainian military and a call by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to end hostilities near the ZNPP and demilitarize the territory of Europe's largest nuclear power plant.
Background:
- On 4 August, Amnesty International claimed that the Ukrainian forces which are holding back the Russian invasion are endangering the civilian population by establishing bases and storing weapons in schools and hospitals.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has denounced the selectivity of Amnesty International’s report. He believes that the organisation is in effect granting amnesty to a terrorist state and shifting blame from the perpetrator of crimes to their victim.
- On 5 August, the Russian occupiers seriously damaged the nitrogen-oxygen unit and the combined auxiliary building at the ZNPP. There are risks of hydrogen leakage and emission of radioactive substances.
- On 6 August, President Zelenskyy reprimanded Amnesty International for their silence on the nuclear terror perpetrated by the Russian army.
- In the days that followed, Russian forces fired on the ZNPP several more times. On 11 August, Russian troops fired on the ZNPP four times.
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