Ukraine: Amnesty Int’l report sparks furor, resignation

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The head of Amnesty International’s Ukraine chapter has resigned, saying the human rights organization shot down her opposition to publishing a report that claimed Ukrainian forces had exposed civilians to Russian attacks by basing themselves in populated areas. In a statement issued Friday night, Oksana Pokalchuk accused her former employer of disregarding concerns of local staff members who had pushed for the report to be reworked. The report released Thursday drew angry denouncements from top Ukrainian officials, who accused the authors of equating the Ukrainian military’s defensive actions to the tactics of the invading Russians. Russia has justified attacks on civilian areas by alleging that Ukrainian fighters had firing positions at the targeted locations.