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UN Report Exposes Russia’s Widespread Enforced Disappearances as Crimes Against Humanity
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![Amira_barkhush]( "Amira Barkhush")
As part of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian authorities have committed “widespread and systematic” crimes against humanity in the form of enforced disappearances, according to the latest report by the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, published on March 19.
The report indicates that Russian authorities detained large numbers of civilians in all regions where they took control.
“Victims included local authorities, civil servants, journalists, and others they perceived as a threat to their military objectives in Ukraine. Many prisoners of war were also victims of enforced disappearances,” the UN wrote in its press release.
According to the report, Russian authorities often transferred victims to detention facilities in occupied Ukrainian areas or deported them to Russia, where they were subjected to torture and sexual violence. Many have been missing for months or years, and some have died.
Additionally, Russian officials have consistently failed to provide information to families, leaving them in uncertainty and depriving victims of legal protection.
The Commission concluded that enforced disappearances of civilians by Russian authorities were part of a coordinated state policy and amounted to crimes against humanity.
Victims' families faced prolonged anguish, with some risking their lives to search for missing loved ones. One woman, whose father disappeared after being detained by Russian forces in March 2022, described the unbearable uncertainty of not knowing his fate.
In another case, a young man was beaten when he sought information about his missing girlfriend. The Commission confirmed that Russian authorities, particularly Federal Security Service personnel, have used torture as a crime against humanity, often ordering or directly committing brutal treatment during interrogations.
An investigation published on March 16 exposed the dire conditions in which Ukrainian journalist and activist Iryna Danylovych is being held.
The imprisonment setting is characterized by extreme cold, unhygienic conditions, and mistreatment by guards.
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-924c3c302c27387e19f6c44aaeb98745.png "Maryna Kulakova")