FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Ukrainian people have the right to live freely and in peace.
WASHINGTON—In response to the indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas by Russian forces, the growing number of civilian casualties, and the ongoing struggle to evacuate hundreds of thousands of civilians from conflict zones in Ukraine, Freedom House issued the following statement:
“The horrific images of dead women and children lying in the streets of Ukraine are a testament to President Putin’s indifference to human suffering and endorsement of unhinged violence,” said Michael J. Abramowitz, president of Freedom House. “Freedom House calls for a swift investigation of the Russian regime’s actions, as indiscriminate bombing of residential areas and the deliberate targeting of civilians fleeing the war zones are war crimes. Freedom House condemns Putin’s depraved indifference toward human life and violations of international law.
We call on President Putin to immediately end hostilities, and we call on the world’s democracies to continue to band together in defense of individual human rights and international norms that promote peace, prosperity, and security for people around the world. The Ukrainian people have the right to live freely and in peace.”
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For Freedom House analysis on threats to democracy worldwide, see Freedom in the World 2022: The Global Expansion of Authoritarian Rule.
Russia is rated Not Free in Freedom in the World 2022, Not Free in Freedom on the Net 2021, and as a Consolidated Authoritarian Regime in Nations in Transit 2021.
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