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UN Report Reveals Systematic Rights Abuses by Russia in Detention of Ukrainian Civilians
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
The widespread deprivation of liberty affecting both civilians and military personnel remains a harsh reality amid Russia’s ongoing armed aggression against Ukraine, according to a new report by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on September 23, which describes the treatment of civilians deprived of liberty since 2022.
The UN stresses that international humanitarian law and international human rights law set minimum standards for the fair and humane treatment of detainees. Civilians may only be deprived of liberty on grounds explicitly provided for by international law, and they must be released as soon as those grounds cease to exist.
According to the OHCHR, the Russian Federation has detained Ukrainian citizens in occupied territories, where it is obliged to comply with international humanitarian law. The report finds that Russian authorities have committed serious violations in this context.
Moscow has imposed its own criminal legislation in occupied areas, disregarding its duty to maintain existing local laws. At the same time, no internment procedure for civilians, as required by international law, has been established.
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The report further highlights the widespread and systematic use of torture, ill-treatment, and sexual violence against civilians in detention facilities. Arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances have become common as a result of persistent violations of legal safeguards. Many Ukrainian civilians remain unlawfully detained, often in dire conditions and without access to necessary assistance, both in the occupied territories and on Russian soil.
The UN emphasizes that compliance with international standards on human rights and humane treatment of detainees must remain mandatory for both sides of the war.
Earlier, the Russian government put forward a proposal for Russian leader Vladimir Putin to formally withdraw from the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, along with all of its additional protocols.
