4 months Ago
The request was announced by caretaker Foreign Affairs Minister Caspar Veldkamp, who said the Netherlands aims to support "truth-finding and accountability for Russian war crimes in Ukraine."
The countries are pushing to activate the Moscow Mechanism, a procedure used to address serious human rights violations. This mechanism allows for the deployment of an independent expert mission to investigate human rights abuses within a country. It requires at least ten member states to initiate the process.
Moscow Mechanism Previously Used in the Ukraine Conflict
The Moscow Mechanism is part of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which has 57 member states. Of these, 41 countries have now joined the Netherlands in calling for this investigation.
The mechanism was previously invoked in both Russia and Belarus in 2023 and 2024, also in connection with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The request reflects growing concern among European nations about the treatment of Ukrainian prisoners and the broader pattern of human rights violations during the war. The use of the Moscow Mechanism could lead to an independent fact-finding mission and possible international pressure for legal accountability.
By joining this initiative, the Netherlands is taking a firm stance on upholding human rights and ensuring justice for victims of wartime abuses in Ukraine.
