They bombed them anyway

Dear friends, When Putin's bombers flew over Mariupol, something strange was on the ground.Outside the city's theatre, where hundreds of women and children were hiding in terror, someone painted a giant plea for mercy:"CHILDREN"But Putin's killers bombed them anyway. 600 people were murdered.They've also bombed schools, hospitals, playgrounds, and a mall -- experts are now warning of genocide. We can't let Putin and his killers get away with it, so here's the plan.Throughout the war, Ukrainians have recorded the atrocities, photographing mass graves, bodies lying in gardens, and victims of torture. Now an award-winning team of war zone investigators and legal experts could start verifying that data as evidence to prosecute war crimes. But there's a mountain of it, and they need urgent funding to get the job done.And there's more: The International Criminal Court is appealing for war crimes witnesses to come forward. Avaaz has over 900,000 members in Ukraine and many could have valuable evidence -- so we'll connect them to investigators, all while powering our campaigns to protect civilians in Ukraine and beyond.This is our chance to be part of possibly the biggest prosecution of war crimes in history. Let's get started right away -- donate what you can now: Â [Take Action Now!] Dear friends, When Putin's bombers flew over Mariupol, something strange was on the ground. Outside the city's theatre, where hundreds of women and children were hiding in terror, someone painted a giant plea for mercy: "CHILDREN" But Putin's killers bombed them anyway. 600 people were murdered. They've also bombed schools, hospitals, playgrounds, and a mall -- experts are now warning of genocide. We can't let Putin and his killers get away with it, so here's the plan. Throughout the war, Ukrainians have recorded the atrocities, photographing mass graves, bodies lying in gardens, and victims of torture. Now an award-winning team of war zone investigators and legal experts could start verifying that data as evidence to prosecute war crimes. But there's a mountain of it, and they need urgent funding to get the job done. And there's more: The International Criminal Court is appealing for war crimes witnesses to come forward. Avaaz has over 900,000 members in Ukraine and many could have valuable evidence -- so we'll connect them to investigators, all while powering our campaigns to protect civilians in Ukraine and beyond. This is our chance to be part of possibly the biggest prosecution of war crimes in history. Let's get started right away -- donate what you can now: [I'LL DONATE $2]( [I'LL DONATE $4]( [I'LL DONATE $8]( [I'LL DONATE $16]( [I'LL DONATE $32]( [OTHER AMOUNT]( Many are calling this the first major social media war -- countless photos and videos have been taken. Now we could turn it into powerful ammunition against Putin and his generals. But to be admissible in court, that evidence must be collected and cross-referenced to verify authenticity. It's painstaking work -- but the project we'd help to fund has been successfully tested in other conflicts, like Yemen, and could be used again to investigate other war crimes around the world. Let's make it happen! Ukraine says it has identified over 20,000 potential war crimes -- each the story of a family ripped apart. We can't undo their suffering, but our community can help ensure Putin is fiercely prosecuted. If enough of us chip in we could: - Fund war zone investigators and legal experts to gather, process and authenticate public evidence of war crimes and prepare it for court submissions; - Create a database to preserve evidence of war crimes for use by international courts and tribunals; - Help our 900,000 members in Ukraine, who may have evidence of war crimes, respond to the International Criminal Court's public call for evidence; - Supercharge our massive campaign to help hold Putin accountable, and work to end this senseless war; - Stand against authoritarian governments, everywhere, with new campaigns to defend democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. Ukrainians worry the world has 'war fatigue' -- that even as the bodies pile up, the world is losing interest, and that Putin and his cronies won't face justice. Let's make sure that doesn't happen. Donate what you can now: [I'LL DONATE $2]( [I'LL DONATE $4]( [I'LL DONATE $8]( [I'LL DONATE $16]( [I'LL DONATE $32]( [OTHER AMOUNT]( It's been over 140 days of conflict in Ukraine. 140 days of indiscriminate shelling. 140 days of civilians being murdered. 140 days of impunity. No more. Our movement has stood for justice in conflicts and crises all over the world from Yemen to Venezuela. Now Ukraine needs us -- let's do all we can. With endless hope and determination -- always, Mike, Marigona, Camille, Adela, Kaitlin, Nell, Ana Paula, Marta, Bert and the whole team at Avaaz PS. This might be your first donation to our movement ever. But what a first donation! Did you know that Avaaz relies entirely on small donations from members like you? That's why we're fully independent, nimble and effective. Join the over 1 million people who've donated to make Avaaz a real force for good in the world. More information: - [A bomb hit this theatre hiding hundreds - here's how one woman survived]( (BBC) - [AP evidence points to 600 dead in Mariupol theatre airstrike]( (AP News) - [Russia has incited genocide in Ukraine, independent experts conclude]( (Washington Post) - [ICC sends 42-member team to probe alleged war crimes in Ukraine]( (Al Jazeera) - [Document the War Crimes in Ukraine]( (New York Times) Avaaz is a 70-million-person global campaign network that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people shape global decision-making. ("Avaaz" means "voice" or "song" in many languages.) Avaaz members live in every nation of the world; our team is spread across 18 countries on 6 continents and operates in 17 languages. Learn about some of Avaaz's biggest campaigns [here](, or follow us on [Facebook](, [Twitter](, or [Instagram](. 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