Neo-Nazi group Rusich announces «contest» for photos with dead Ukrainian prisoners
Neo-Nazi sabotage and assault group Rusich State Specialised Reconnaissance Group«, which is fighting on the side of the Russian Federation, announced a cynical «competition» on its channels for photos of Ukrainian prisoners of war killed in captivity. The organisers stated that they would publish the photos anonymously, and the first three «participants» are promised remuneration in cryptocurrency.
The group has already released one image, which they claim depicts Ukrainian prisoners shot dead. The photo in the public domain is accompanied by disparaging rhetoric and calls for new material.
Details of the incident
The announced «competition» caused a sharp reaction among human rights organisations due to its openly inhumane nature.
The publication of photos of dead prisoners violates the law:
Geneva Conventions, which prohibit abuse of prisoners of war;
norms of international humanitarian law, which qualify the intentional killing of prisoners as a war crime;
rules for the treatment of prisoners of war, who cannot be subject to propaganda or humiliation.
Ukrainian authorities have already started checking the authenticity of the image and the circumstances of the alleged shooting.
Context.
The Rusych RRG is known for its openly neo-Nazi ideology, participation in torture and extrajudicial executions, as well as war crimes in various regions of Ukraine since 2014. The group's members have repeatedly published footage of ill-treatment of prisoners and civilians.
International experts note that such actions may be part of Russia's information and psychological operations aimed at intimidating Ukrainians and demoralising the military.
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