Ukraine: “Blatant and unabated violations of human rights”, UN deputy rights chief

Ukraine: Russian forces implicated in ‘blatant and unabated violations’, says UN deputy rights chief

The widespread use of torture, arbitrary detention and conflict-related sexual violence continue to be committed in Ukraine more than 18 months since Russia’s full-scale armed attack, the UN deputy rights chief said on Monday.

“From 1 February to 31 July 2023, another 4,621 civilians fell victim to this conflict, with 1,028 killed and 3,593 injured,“ said Nada Al-Nashif, presenting the latest report of the Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine to the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

“Most of these documented casualties occurred in territory controlled by Ukraine. The actual figures are likely higher, as many reports of civilian casualties are still pending corroboration and OHCHR does not have access to the occupied territory of Ukraine and limited access to the areas close to the frontline”.

The report’s findings are the result of 117 field visits, 27 inspections of detention centres, 28 visits to care institutions or shelters, the observation of 23 trial hearings and insight gained from 1,226 interviews with victims, witnesses, relatives and legal representatives.

The report concludes that torture remains a brutal reality for civilians and prisoners of war held by Russian authorities.

“Our March report on the treatment of prisoners of war and persons hors de combat as well as our June report on detention of civilians in the context of the armed attack by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, show that Russian authorities use of torture and ill treatment against both civilians and prisoners of war has been widespread,” said Ms. Al-Nashif.

The testimonies of survivors describe “a cruelty that is difficult to imagine, including terrifying accounts of electric shocks, sexual violence and severe beatings, which in some instances led to broken bones and smashed teeth”.

Previously documented patterns of sexual violence, primarily involving Russian armed forces, law enforcement authorities and penitentiary staff continue to happen, according to Ms Al-Nashif. Between 1 February to 31 July 2023, “OHCHR documented five acts of conflict-related sexual violence by members of Russian armed forces and Russian penitentiary services”, she noted.

In its report, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) also expressed deep concern “that there is no established system to return Ukrainian children who were transferred to other regions in Russian occupied territory or to the Russian Federation”.

Among the children reunited with their family after relatives travelled to the Russian Federation to retrieve them, “some have described experiencing or witnessing psychological or physical violence by educational staff there”, the OHCHR report noted .

The report also deplored that “Russian authorities have taken no discernible steps to ensure accountability for violations committed by their own security forces” It pointed to a new law adopted in June 2023 that effectively grants amnesty to Russian servicepersons for an overly broad range of crimes, reinforcing an atmosphere of impunity.

Devastating long-term effects will also be felt by the collapse of the Black Sea Initiative, emphasized the report, in reference to the UN-brokered plan agreed by Russia, Türkiye and Ukraine, which had allowed millions of tonnes of grain and other foodstuffs to leave Ukraine’s ports. “Following its withdrawal from this lifeline agreement, we have seen an increase in the number of attacks by the Russian Federation that affect infrastructure related to grain export. Some of these attacks also cause damage to surrounding civilian infrastructure and Odessa's historic buildings,” said Ms. Al-Nashif.

Speaking from Ukraine to the Human Rights Council, the country’s First Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Emine Dzhaparova, raised concern about the “arbitrary and incommunicado detention of civilians, the policy of mass conferral of Russian citizenship, harassment and criminal prosecution, forceful conscription to the Russian army remain part and parcel of Russia's control over Ukrainian temporarily occupied territories, including my beloved homeland Crimea.”

The representative of the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the UN in Geneva, Mr. Yaroslav Eremin, said that he “fundamentally disagree(d) with the methodology, content and conclusions to yet another OHCHR report...Instead of acting in line with its mandate and fully describing the deteriorating human rights situation in Ukraine, the OHCHR is continuing to whitewash Kyiv and shifting the blame for the crimes of the Ukrainian authorities on our country.”

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Ukraine: “Blatant and unabated violations of human rights”, UN deputy rights chief

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