"Clearly a war crime": our latest report

We're back from documenting war crimes in Ukraine [View in Browser]( [Amnesty International candle logo]( [YOUR $1 = $2 TODAY. HELP FUEL OUR RESEARCH IN UKRAINE »]( {NAME}, Hundreds of civilians were sheltering from air raids inside a theater in the city of Mariupol in Ukraine. Then Russian military forces bombed it, killing and injuring many people. Here’s what the building looked like from the air: [Theater in Mariupol showing roof collapsed in from bombing and 'children' written in large letters in Russian]( You’ll notice that Ukrainians wrote on the ground in giant Cyrillic letters “дети”, Russian for “children”. The theater was a hub for the distribution of medicine, food, water, and clothing, and a designated gathering point for people hoping to be evacuated through humanitarian corridors. The building was clearly recognizable as a place where civilians were sheltering — maybe more so than any other location in the city. After weeks of research on the ground in Ukraine, Amnesty International has the evidence to prove that this attack was a clear war crime.1 Doing this kind of research is crucial to seeking justice for these crimes — but it’s painstaking, and it takes significant resources. [That’s why today, I’m asking you to donate to support our research to hold the Russian government accountable for committing war crimes. If you donate right now, every single dollar you donate will double in impact, during our special matching period.]( [DONATE NOW]( Amnesty’s crisis investigators and researchers have been working on the ground in Ukraine over the past four months. Our goal is to document evidence, interview witnesses, and ensure Russian military forces are held accountable for violating human rights and committing war crimes. In the weeks after the Mariupol bombing, our teams interviewed 53 people — including 28 survivors of the attack. They analyzed satellite and radar data and authenticated photographic and video evidence of the attack. [Quote from Gregory Golovniov, a 51 year-old entrepreneur: 'I couldn't believe my eyes because the theater was a sanctuary. There were two big children signs.']( {NAME}, this evidence is vital in proving Russian forces committed war crimes. And not every organization can come into a crisis and operate like Amnesty can: A member of our crisis response team shared their experience with me: “It’s amazing how Amnesty International’s reputation and our work open doors and allow people to feel comfortable talking to us. They trust us with their stories, and that is humbling.” The importance of this trust cannot be overstated. While the horrifying imagery coming out of Ukraine gives the impression we’re seeing everything, it provides only a glimpse of the suffering. People’s stories help uncover what wasn’t captured on video or by the media. Our teams talk to survivors to ask, “What happened? What did you hear and see?” It takes weeks and months to build the testimonial accounts of each attack, but it is THIS painstaking research that will ultimately convict the perpetrators. This is the work you support. [2X MATCH]( This is what Amnesty does — our experts deploy quickly to crisis areas, we investigate human rights violations, and the global Amnesty movement (that includes you) unites to push for change. [Make a crucial donation to Amnesty International today]( to ensure we have the resources to be there. When we act together, we can defend human rights and build a better world. On behalf of all of us, thank you. Paul O’Brien Executive Director Amnesty International USA [1] [( [DONATE NOW]( © 2022 Amnesty International USA 311 W 43rd Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10036 | 1-800-AMNESTY Please don't reply to this email. You can send questions to aimember@aiusa.org. We’re so happy you’re here to hear about the most important updates on human rights! If necessary, you can [opt to receive fewer emails]( or [unsubscribe here](. [supporter]