Russia: Torture and arbitrary detention of Ukrainian civilians in Russia are part of the crime against humanity of persecution

Interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation

23 September 2022

We thank Special Rapporteur for her comprehensive report and presentation.

World Organisation against Torture fully shares your concerns regarding the human rights situation in Russia. Together with that, we would like to highlight the international crimes committed by Russia in the occupied territories of Ukraine and against Ukrainian civilians.

As described in the Special Rapporteur’s report these crimes start in the occupied territories with enforced disappearances or arbitrary detentions accompanied by torture against persons perceived as disloyal by Russian military. Then they continue during the transfer to Russia, trough Crimea, so called DPR/LPR or Belarus, and later continue in places of detention in the territory of Russia where prisoners are held incommunicado, without any legal grounds and where they experience torture and other forms of ill-treatment.

We emphasise that these are continuous international crimes that should be documented and investigated as a whole.

Madame Rapporteur, would you see the possibility of cooperation with Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, Special Rapporteur on Belarus and Group of Independent Experts on Belarus to document, investigate and facilitate accountability for these crimes?

I thank you.