UN Commission: Russian authorities have committed widespread crimes against humanity in Ukraine
The UN Commission has reported that, amid its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian authorities have perpetrated widespread and systematic crimes against humanity, specifically through the enforced disappearances of civilians.
The Independent International Commission of Inquiry into Violations in Ukraine stated this in its latest report.
It is noted that the Russian authorities detained a large number of civilians in all the territories of Ukraine they seized. The victims of the disappearances were representatives of local authorities, civil servants, journalists, and other individuals "whom the Russian authorities perceived as a threat to their military objectives in Ukraine."
Many prisoners of war also became victims of enforced disappearances.
"Russian authorities frequently transferred victims to detention facilities in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine or deported them to the Russian Federation. There, they endured further violations, including torture and sexual violence.
Many victims have been missing for months or years, with some having died. The fate and whereabouts of these individuals remain unknown, leaving their families in agonizing uncertainty," the Commission noted.
According to the report of the Independent International Commission, in response to appeals from families of the missing, Russian authorities at various levels "provided standard responses that systematically failed to provide information about the fate or whereabouts of the missing."
This refusal to provide information to the families of the victims also "indicates the intention of the Russian authorities to deprive the victims themselves of legal protection."
"Based on the evidence collected, the Commission concluded that the acts of enforced disappearances against civilians were carried out in accordance with a coordinated state policy and constitute crimes against humanity," the press release states.
It is also recalled that the Commission previously concluded that the Russian authorities "committed crimes against humanity in the form of torture."
Recent investigations have also confirmed that representatives of the Russian Federal Security Service who were in places of detention "had the highest authority": they tortured or ordered the use of torture at various stages of the detention of prisoners and, in particular, during interrogations when one of the most brutal types of treatment of prisoners was used.
"The Commission has previously described the systematic use of sexual violence as a form of torture by the Russian authorities in places of detention, predominantly against men. With regard to female prisoners, the Commission has now documented new cases of rape and sexual violence that constitute torture.
The Russian authorities have used sexual violence and rape against female prisoners and have held them in inhumane conditions, reflecting the gendered nature and consequences of such treatment of female prisoners," the Commission said.
In addition, it has recorded "an increase in incidents involving the killing or wounding of Ukrainian soldiers who were captured or attempted to surrender by Russian armed forces."
"These actions qualify as war crimes. Investigators managed to interview fighters who deserted from the Russian armed forces. Some of them told the Commission that they were ordered not to take prisoners but to kill them. This indicates a coordinated policy," the Commission said.
For reference:
The Independent International Commission of Inquiry into Violations in Ukraine was established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2022 to investigate alleged human rights violations, abuses, and breaches of international humanitarian law amid Russia's aggression against Ukraine. The Commission comprises Eric Mosse (Chairman), Pablo de Greiff, and Vrinda Grover.
In May of 2023, Ukraine launched the Unified Register of Missing Persons, which was developed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Commissioner for Missing Persons, and other agencies.
Notably, since the start of 2024, nearly 30,000 Ukrainians have been reported missing. The register of those missing under exceptional circumstances now exceeds 70,000 entries, including military personnel.
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