"Everything faded into mist. The past was erased, the erasure was forgotten, the lie became the truth."
--1984
The Western media is thick in Ukraine. National evening newscasts are based there just now. Even newspapers are putting videos on their websites showing the aftermath as the Russian army withdraws (regroups?) from the streets of central Ukraine. But have no fear, the Russians can explain all the dead bodies. The bound, dead bodies. Especially in the city of Bucha.
According to the Russian Defence Ministry, "not a single local resident has suffered from any violent action" in the city of Bucha, at least not while Russian forces controlled it.
It's a miracle. For the first time in written history, and even before that, an occupation force has controlled a region without one of its soldiers committing a crime against a civilian. Not against a single local resident, mind you. The Russian forces are more disciplined than the world has been led to believe.
As far as images of dead bodies, who are you going to believe? The Russians or your lying eyes? Russian diplomats claim that the bodies in the streets are actors, pretending to have holes in their temples. It's all a part of a hoax, you see, designed to discredit Mother Russia, staged by Ukrainians, and swallowed hook/line/sinker by Western media.
The actors must be good, because the mayor of Bucha said his people have dug up 270 people buried in two mass graves. A photographer for The Washington Post witnessed multiple people being placed in body bags, some of whom had their hands bound behind them. But the deputy speaker of the upper house of Russia's parliament said of the videos and witness testimony: There was "no doubt whatsoever that it was staged."
No doubt. Whatsoever.
That's an adamant position for somebody, especially when that person is way back in Moscow. But said deputy speaker probably knows what's good for him. And took the Party line.
The Associated Press says the International Criminal Court has opened an investigation into possible war crimes. Who else has opened investigations of atrocities in Ukraine?
Poland, Germany, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, France, Slovakia, Sweden, Norway and Switzerland. To name a few at press time.
Right now, however, it is important to document what has happened. It's important to get the photos taken, and get them out of Ukraine and into the Western press, where they can't be swept under the rug. It's important to interview witnesses, and get them on the record. Because one day a tribunal may ask for the evidence. And that day might not be too far in the future.
According to the AP: "Negotiations are ongoing over how to actually set up such a tribunal so that it has broad legitimacy, either through an international body like the United Nations or under the auspices of a collection of individual states. The Nuremberg tribunal was established by the Soviet Union, the United States, the United Kingdom and France to hold Nazi leaders to account after World War II."
Back to the present day: "You feel something is stirring," said a professor at University College London. "And I think that's the way the law works. The law does not lead. The law follows, and it follows realities and images and stories, and that's what causes things to happen."
To which we say to our press colleagues in Ukraine: Go get 'em. You lead, with your assignments, and the law will follow. Or bloody well should.
Because state media in Russia is held so closely by the Kremlin, many people in Russia have little idea about what is going on. But The Washington Post published a story this past week in which Russians were given proof of their government's actions, and they still didn't believe it.
For example:
"I saw the video footage yesterday," said one man who would only give his first name. "It is so awful, I can't believe it. I refuse to believe it. Russians could not have possibly done it."
He added: "I understand there might be civilian victims in any war. But what I saw in the video from Bucha is beyond any common sense. I don't know who did it. If this is not fake, my brain refuses to accept it." He might be one of the good Germans. Er, Russians.
The dead are beyond this world now. But those of us still in it need to document, document, document. And give prosecutors more than what they need in the years to come.
Those of us still of this world, we have our souls to think about.