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    #29 Archived Message

    Posted by Ian M on August 2, 2022, 7:01 pm, in reply to "Project: to find 29 examples of the BBC failing 'due impartiality' in Ukraine reporting"

    #29: Ukraine’s President Zelensky accuses Russian forces of genocide, April 4th:





    Newsreader Samantha Simmonds: 'Ukraine's President Vladimir Zelensky has accused Russian forces of committing genocide in towns near the capital Kiev. He described the war as the torture of an entire nation. There's been condemnation of Russia from leaders around the world including the Prime Minister Boris Johnson but the Kremlin is continuing its offensive in the east of Ukraine. Simon Jones has the latest.'

    Reporter Simon Jones: 'The withdrawal of Russian forces from areas around Kiev reveals the destruction and a mounting death toll. More than 400 bodies have been recovered in the region according to Ukraine's prosecutor general, civilians apparently indiscriminately killed in the street by retreating Russian soldiers. Residents of the city of Bucha have witnessed unimaginable horror.'

    Tamar Havriutina, resident of Bucha: 'I'm so worried. I'm already 90. I shouldn't have lived to see this.'

    Simon Jones: 'These satellite images from Bucha are said to show evidence of a mass grave in the grounds of a church. It's a bleak landscape. Boris Johnson says Russia's despicable attacks against innocent civilians are yet more evidence that President Putin and his army are committing war crimes. The Ukrainian President says it has to end.'

    Vladimir Zelensky: 'I call on all our citizens and friends of Ukraine in the world who can join this work and help establish justice to do so. The world has already seen many war crimes at different times on different continents but it is time to do everything possible to make the war crimes of the Russian military the last manifestation of such evil on Earth.'

    Simon Jones: 'Russia's military focus is shifting to the east of Ukraine. New footage from Mariupol shows the devastation caused by more than a month of shelling. And this is what remains of a theater used as a shelter which came under attack. Hundreds appeared to have died.'

    Sergei Orlov, Deputy Mayor of Mariupol: 'You saw these pictures, you saw these videos, and we see that Russian army they are not human being. Where, I don't know who they are - are they animals, are they orcs or who they are, I don't know. How it's possible to do this I cannot even imagine.'

    Simon Jones: 'Tens of thousands of people remain trapped in the city struggling to find food and water. There is now an exodus underway from the city of Kramatosk [?]. Emotional farewells, people here fear Russia could soon attempt to besiege the city making it a second Mariupol. In Moscow some buildings display the letter Z, a symbol of support for what Russia has always labeled its special military operation. Despite growing outrage Russia says the grim images emerging from cities like Bucha are fake. There is condemnation of the Kremlin's actions from leaders around the world with a threat of further sanctions, a call for president Putin to face the consequences, but despite all the political pressure the war goes on. Simon Jones, BBC News.'

    Samantha Simmonds: 'Well, our correspondent Emma Vardy in Lviv in western Ukraine and Jenny Hill in Moscow gave me this update on the conflict.'

    Reporter Emma Vardy: 'Very strong words from Mr Zelensky overnight accusing Russian forces of a deliberate massacre of civilians in these towns around the capital Kiev, and he says he's moving very quickly now to see if alleged war crimes can indeed be prosecuted. Mr Zelensky said he's putting together a specialist team of investigators of judges, of prosecutors. That process he says will begin immediately to gather evidence and prosecute if it is possible to do so. And we saw this surprise video address from Mr Zelensky last night which was played at the Grammy Awards in which he was making another passionate plea, asking world leaders not to stay silent on this. But as these terrible images from towns emerge world leaders have not been silent. There has been outrage, there has been condemnation from many countries who are saying that these alleged atrocities must now be properly investigated, which will take work by experts on the ground in the days ahead.

    Samantha Simmonds: 'Yeah, meanwhile, Jenny, the response from the Kremlin saying that these images are propaganda prepared and created by the West.'

    Reporter Jenny Hill: 'Yep, Moscow says that all of those reports, all of those images, all of that footage are all fake news. They've accused the Ukrainians of having staged the scenes that you've seen broadcast from Bucha and the Ministry of Defense here has said not a single local resident of Bucha suffered from any violent action. On the contrary its troops, it said, have taken humanitarian aid to the settlements all around that area. And not only is Moscow accusing Ukraine of staging fake news, it's demanding a meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss what's happened. It says that Ukraine has perpetrated a blatant provocation designed to escalate tensions and to disturb peace talks - peace talks of course which are due to resume in an online format later today.'

    *****

    Unusual response from Russian officials tagged on to the end of this report but hardly sufficient to balance out the solid 4 minutes of Ukrainian and western accusations. No response to the specific claims of 'genocide', 'indiscriminate' killing of civilians, or the harsh depiction of the Russian military as 'not human', 'animals' or 'orcs'. In the context of the long string of accusations (relayed by the BBC without question or critical examination) you could even view the inclusion of brief, nonspecific denials from Russia as another attack on them, with the implication being that they must be lying or gaslighting because surely 'all of those reports, all of those images, all of that footage' (in the words of Moscow correspondent Jenny Hill) can't be 'fake news', can they?

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