Commission Of Inquiry On Ukraine HRC
/
2:14
/
MP4
/
164.2 MB

Edited News , Press Conferences | OHCHR

Commission Of Inquiry On Ukraine HRC 23 September 2022

War crimes have been committed in Ukraine conflict, finds top human rights inquiry

Almost seven months to the day since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, UN-appointed independent human rights investigators said that war crimes have indeed been committed in the conflict.

The finding came in the first report by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, which was set up in March this year, at the request of Human Rights Council Member States.

Much of the Commission’s work focused on investigations in the regions of Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Sumy, where allegations of the most serious rights violations were made against Russian or Russian-backed forces, early in the war.

Commission chairperson Erik Møse said that investigators visited 27 towns and settlements and interviewed more than 150 victims and witnesses. They also inspected “sites of destruction, graves, places of detention and torture”, as well as remnants of weapons.

“Based on the evidence gathered so far during the Commission’s existence, we found out after having carried out the investigations in these four areas just mentioned, we found that war crimes have been committed in Ukraine,” he told journalists in Geneva.

That conclusion is in line with findings published earlier this year by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU).

It documented unlawful killings - including summary executions of civilians - in more than 30 settlements in Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv and Sumy regions, by Russian armed forces while they controlled these areas in late February and March.

Other key findings from the report include the surprisingly “large number of executions” in 16 towns and settlements, where “common elements” of the crimes included “visible signs of executions on bodies, such as hands tied behind backs, gunshot wounds to the head, and slit throats”.

The report, delivered to the Human Rights Council earlier on Friday, also documented how explosive weapons had been used by the Russian Federation forces, “without distinguishing between civilians and combatants in populated areas…We were struck by a large number of executions and other violations by Russian forces, and the Commission received consistent accounts of torture and ill-treatment.”

Horrific allegations of sexual violence against Ukrainian communities - including children - were also found to be based in fact.

“The Commission investigated cases of sexual gender-based violence. It documented cases in which some Russian Federation soldiers made such crime,” said Commissioner Jasminka Džumhur:

Ukrainian forces were also responsible for human rights violations, said Commissioner Pablo de Greiff: “We have found two instances of ill-treatment of Russian Federation soldiers by Ukrainian soldiers, and we mentioned this in our statement. We have found obviously significantly larger numbers of instances that amount to war crimes on the part of the Russian Federation.”

ends

STORY: Ukraine Commission of Inquiry - HRC

TRT: 2 mins 14s

SOURCE: UNTV CH

RESTRICTIONS: NONE

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/NATS

ASPECT RATIO: 16:9

DATELINE: 23 September 2022 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

SHOTLIST

  1. Medium shot, UN Geneva flag alley.
  2. Wide shot, press room with panel of speakers.
  3. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Chair of Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, Erik Møse: “We have submitted now this sort of report relates to four areas in Ukraine, and these four areas were selected because they were mentioned in the second resolution by the Human Rights Council, and they are Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv and Sumy.”
  4. Medium shot, pressroom with cameras and journalists.
  5. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Chair of Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, Erik Møse: “Based on the evidence gathered so far during the Commission’s existence, we found, after having carried out the investigations in these four areas just mentioned, we found that war crimes were committed in Ukraine.”
  6. Medium shot, panel of speakers.
  7. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Chair of Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, Erik Møse: “Explosive weapons were used by the Russian Federation forces without distinguishing between civilians and combatants in populated We were struck by a large number of executions and other violations by Russian forces, and the Commission received consistent accounts of torture and ill-treatment.”
  8. Close up shot, camera screen showing speaker.
  9. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Commissioner of Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, Jasminka Džumhur: “The Commission investigated cases of sexual gender-based violence. It documented cases in which some Russian Federation soldiers made such crime.”
  10. Medium shot, journalists taking photos.
  11. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Commissioner of Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, Pablo de Greiff: “We have found two instances of ill-treatment of Russian Federation soldiers by Ukrainian soldiers, and we mentioned this in our statement. We have found obviously significantly larger numbers of instances that amount to war crimes on the part of the Russian Federation.”
  12. Wide shot, press room with cameras and panel of speakers.
  13. Close up shot, journalists taking notes.
  14. Medium shot, journalists taking notes.

Similar Stories

OHCHR/ Special Procedures - Press conference: Special Rapporteurs on OPT - 15 September 2025

1

1

1

Press Conferences | OHCHR

OHCHR/ Special Procedures - Press conference: Special Rapporteurs on OPT - 15 September 2025 ENG FRA

Press briefing: Human rights situation in Gaza and across the occupied Palestinian territory

UNIDIR Press conference on Cluster Munitions - 15 September 2025

1

2

1

Press Conferences | UNIDIR

UNIDIR Press conference on Cluster Munitions - 15 September 2025 ENG FRA

Launch of the Cluster Munition Monitor 2025 report

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Elizabeth Throssell on DPRK

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Elizabeth Throssell on DPRK ENG FRA

New UN Human Rights report finds 10 years of increased suffering repression and fear

The UN Human Rights Office on Friday published a report on the human rights situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) since 2014. 

Afghanistan update - UNICEF UNHCR 12 September 2025

1

1

2

Edited News | UNICEF , UNHCR

Afghanistan update - UNICEF UNHCR 12 September 2025 ENG FRA

The ongoing humanitarian response to the devastating Afghanistan earthquake disaster continued on Friday, although essential services have been cut for operational reasons following reinforced Taliban restrictions on women working with the UN, the global body said.

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 12 September 2025

1

1

1

Press Conferences | WIPO , WMO , OHCHR , UNICEF , UNHCR , WHO

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 12 September 2025 ENG FRA

Michele Zaccheo, Chief, UNTV, Radio and Webcast Section, United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, which was attended by spokespersons and representatives from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations Children's Fund, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, World Health Organization, World Intellectual Property Organization, World Meteorological Organization, and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights report on DRC at the 60th Human Rights Council

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights report on DRC at the 60th Human Rights Council ENG FRA

Un nouveau rapport du Haut-Commissariat des Nations Unies aux droits de l'homme sur la République démocratique du Congo évoque le spectre de crimes de guerre et de crimes contre l'humanité dans le Nord et le Sud-Kivu., 

HRC60 Press Conference: Report of the Sudan Fact-Finding Mission - 09 September 2025

2

1

2

Press Conferences , Edited News | HRC

HRC60 Press Conference: Report of the Sudan Fact-Finding Mission - 09 September 2025 ENG FRA

A high-level independent rights probe into the Sudan crisis on Tuesday condemned the many grave crimes committed against civilians by all parties to the war, citing disturbing evidence indicating that they had been “deliberately targeted, displaced and starved”.

Ukraine attacks - health update - WHO

1

1

1

Edited News | WHO

Ukraine attacks - health update - WHO ENG FRA

Ukraine: ‘Relentless’ attacks rattle health system as winter approaches: WHO

Ambulances attacked, chronically ill patients lacking care and no peace in sight: for millions of Ukrainians, the run-up to another winter of war is just the latest life-or-death challenge they face, the UN health agency (WHO) said on Tuesday.

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 09 September 2025

1

1

1

Press Conferences | IFRC , OCHA , WHO , IOM , UNICEF

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 09 September 2025 ENG FRA

Alessandra Vellucci of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, attended by spokespersons and representatives of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the World Health Organization, UN Women, the International Organization for Migration, the United Nations Children’s Fund and the International Federation of the Red Cross.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights presents report on Sri Lanka to 60th HRC

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights presents report on Sri Lanka to 60th HRC ENG FRA

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Monday delivered his report on Sri Lanka to the 60th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

HRC 60 HC Volker Türk Global update speech

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

HRC 60 HC Volker Türk Global update speech ENG FRA

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Monday delivered his global update to the 60th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

DRC: UN report raises spectre of war crimes and crimes against humanity

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR

DRC: UN report raises spectre of war crimes and crimes against humanity ENG FRA

A UN report on the Democratic Republic of Congo raises specter of war crimes and crimes against humanity in North and South Kivu, according to UN Human Rights Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani.