Displaying items by tag: mass graves

1,500+ new graves have been dug at a mass burial site near Mariupol in Ukraine. Over 4,600 graves have been dug there since the beginning of the war. Officials believe at least 25,000 people were killed in fighting there, and 5,000-7,000 died after their homes were bombed. Witnesses have seen Russian authorities removing bodies from destroyed buildings and taking them away for burial, over 1,500 according to new satellite images. From the start of the war Mariupol, a strategic target, was pounded relentlessly from the air and from the ground. Pray for the thousands of survivors who have now escaped the city, but do not know where their families’ bodies are. Pray for those unable to get that information, and pray for those who suspect their loved ones are still buried beneath the rubble of their houses.

A UN investigation has found more than 200 mass graves in areas of Iraq once controlled by the Islamic State (IS) group. IS seized parts of Iraq in 2014 and imposed brutal rule, commonly killing anyone of whom it disapproved. The sites contain critical evidence that will not only identify the victims but also help prosecutors build cases for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and possibly genocide. Investigators estimate that between six and twelve thousand victims are buried at the sites, including women, children, the elderly, people with disabilities, foreign workers, and members of the Iraqi security forces. Ján Kubiš, the UN special representative for Iraq, said, ‘The mass grave sites are a testament to harrowing human loss, profound suffering and shocking cruelty. (Analysing the evidence) will be an important step in the mourning process for families and their journey to secure their rights to truth and justice.’