UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay on Tuesday urged the Ukrainian government and pro-Russia protesters to end violent confrontations and defuse tensions in the country’s eastern region.
“I urge all sides to make a much greater effort to find a peaceful resolution to the current crisis, especially in the various towns in eastern and southern Ukraine,” the UN human rights chief said.
Pillay also called on the Ukrainian government to ensure that military and police operations are undertaken in line with international standards.
“It is extremely important that the authorities themselves demonstrate full respect for the rule of law and scrupulously protect the human rights of all, including the Russian-speaking population,” she said.
The UN human rights chief also urged those in favor of joining Russia to lay down their arms, vacate occupied buildings and free those randomly detained.
Moreover, she also called on authorities to carry out “prompt, transparent and comprehensive” investigations into events in Odessa and Donetsk eastern regions, where dozens of people have been killed in recent days.
The Ukrainian crisis began in November last year when the country’s then president Viktor Yanukovych refrained from signing an Association Agreement with the European Union in favor of closer ties with Russia.
