Ukraine Secures Conviction For War Crime, Media Forgets Others Exist
Dmitry Kurashov, a Russian soldier, has been sentenced to life in prison for executing an unarmed Ukrainian POW, a clear violation of international law. The BBC hails this as 'unprecedented,' (BBC World, May 24, 2024) and indeed, accountability for such acts should be universal. But one might wonder why such precedents are only set when the accused is a geopolitical foe. While this conviction is
reported, the media's spotlight rarely swivels to instances where Western allies, or forces supported by them, are accused of similar atrocities – summary executions, targeting of civilians, or collective punishment. The sheer volume of reporting on this single Russian soldier contrasts sharply with the deafening silence or downplayed coverage surrounding allegations against, say, IDF actions in
Gaza, where UN experts and human rights organizations (Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch) have documented countless violations of international law, often meeting with little or no accountability, let alone 'unprecedented' life sentences.