Thank you, Madam Chair. I am making this statement in my national
capacity, in addition to the joint statement delivered by the
Ambassador of Romania.
Before addressing the report proper, I want to draw
attention once again to the three OSCE civilian staff members
unlawfully detained for more than two years now. Russia has
subjected the SMM members to trial simply for performing their
official duties. These were duties that were mandated by all
participating States of the OSCE, including Russia itself. Once
again, the UK calls for their immediate and unconditional
release. We will not forget our colleagues.
Thank you to all three of our experts for this independent report
on intolerable treatment of Ukrainian civilian detainees by
Russia.
Your report establishes how thousands of Ukrainian civilians have
been arbitrarily detained by Russia since 2014, with the practice
expanding to all territory under Russian control since the
outbreak of the full-scale invasion. Ukrainian civilian detainees
have rarely been informed about the grounds for their detention.
They have no possibility to challenge the lawfulness of their
detention and have been denied contact with the outside world. In
consequence, Ukrainian civilians are being held incommunicado and
subjected to enforced disappearances.
You report that very few Ukrainian civilians have been released
by Russia, with many unlawfully charged after being denied a fair
trial. Continued detention under such conditions inflicts
suffering and terror on detainees and their loved ones.
You conclude that during detention Ukrainian civilians are
exposed to inhumane conditions, denied food, water, and medical
assistance and that the use of torture is widespread and
systematic. This includes electrocutions, sexual assaults
and rape. Such severe violence is calculated to humiliate
detainees and intimidate them into forced
confessions.
Moreover, you find that many Ukrainian civilians have died in
detention, some from extrajudicial killings, and others as a
direct result of severe mistreatment and torture. Such abhorrent
acts constitute serious violations of international law, and you
determine that there are reasonable grounds to conclude that war
crimes have been committed by individuals involved in the
detention of Ukrainian civilians, including members of the
Russian armed forces.
Since 1975, the OSCE has operated on the basis of shared
principles and commitments in relation to human rights and
fundamental freedoms. In that context, Russia's treatment of
Ukrainian detainees is unacceptable and is clearly of direct and
immediate interest to all OSCE participating States. The UK will
continue to use all the tools at this organisation's disposal –
including the Moscow and Vienna mechanisms – to hold Russia to
account.
Madam Chair, the UK demands immediate, safe and unfettered access
of humanitarian organisations to all facilities where Ukrainian
civilians are being detained. And Russia must immediately
and unconditionally release all those it has arbitrarily
detained, including the SMM members, and respect its obligations
under international law and its OSCE commitments. The UK will
continue to work publicly and privately to condemn the use of
arbitrary detention, to support those who have been arbitrarily
detained, and to demand accountability.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
