The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Press Conferences , Edited News | HRC
HRC - Press Conference: Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine - 15 March 2024
STORYLINE
New evidence of widespread and systematic torture by Russian forces in Ukraine, say UN-appointed independent rights investigators
Fresh evidence of severe and systematic abuse, including likely war crimes, perpetrated by Russian forces in Ukraine were revealed on Friday by UN-appointed independent rights investigators.
“The new evidence strengthens the Commission's previous findings that torture used by Russian authorities in Ukraine and in the Russian Federation has been widespread and systematic. The latest investigation focused on cases of torture of Ukrainian prisoners of war,” said Erik Møse, Chair of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, speaking to reporters at the United Nations in Geneva.
The report highlights an escalation in civilian suffering two years following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces, attributing the violations to a disregard for fundamental humanitarian principles and to the obligations to uphold human rights.
The findings reflect information gathered from March 2023 to March 2024, when the Commission travelled to Ukraine 16 times, visiting 34 settlements in nine provinces and interviewing 816 people.
The siege and indiscriminate bombardment of Mariupol were an additional focus of the report, which assessed the grave impact on civilians of the fighting from the outset of the full-scale invasion until the end of May 2022.
Fighting in Mariupol city damaged or destroyed at least 58 medical buildings, according to the data gathered by the Commission.
“Residents described unbearable suffering endured during relentless shelling and aerial bombardments which caused large scale death, injury and destruction,” said Mr. Møse. “People interviewed by the Commission recalled seeing large number of dead bodies on the streets, in the rubble of their houses and in the city's hospitals.”
Incidents of rape and other sexual violence were also examined in the Commission's report.
“The Commission investigated incidents of rape and other sexual violence committed against women in circumstances which also amount to torture. It also details incidents of torture with a sexualized dimension and threats of rape against Ukrainian male prisoners of war,” said Commission member Vrinda Grover.
The investigations found additional evidence concerning the unlawful transfer of children to areas under Russian control. “In its current report, it concludes that the transfer of a group of 46 children from the Kherson regional children home to Crimea was not temporary and hence amounts to war crime of unlawful transfer,” Ms. Grover said.
According to the Commission, indiscriminate attacks by Russian forces have led to the destruction and damage of civilian objects, including those that are protected under international law – such as hospitals and cultural property.
“In this report, the Commission has documented for the first-time attacks by Russian authorities affecting cultural property and seizure of cultural objects,” noted Vrinda Grover.
“We have found that in the summer of 2023, the Russian armed forces committed indiscriminate attacks in Odessa city, affecting several buildings and the Transfiguration Cathedral located in the historic center,” she added.
The attacks were, at the time, severely condemned by UNESCO, as violence against cultural heritage of Ukraine that stands in contravention of international conventions on the protection of cultural property and world heritage.
-ends-
STORY: Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine – Latest report
TRT: 2:35”
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 15 March 2024 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
- Exterior medium shot: UN flag alley
- Wide shot: speakers at the press conference with photographers in front of them
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Erik Møse, Chair of the Commission: “The new evidence strengthens the Commission's previous findings that torture used by Russian authorities in Ukraine and in the Russian Federation has been widespread and systematic. The latest investigation focused on cases of torture of Ukrainian prisoners of war.”
- Wide shot: speakers at the press conference with journalists in the room
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Erik Møse, Chair of the Commission: “Residents described unbearable suffering endured during relentless shelling and aerial bombardments, which caused large scale death, injury and destruction. People interviewed by the Commission recalled seeing large number of dead bodies on the streets, in the rubble of their houses and in the city's hospitals.”
- Wide shot: speakers at the podium from behind with photographers
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Vrinda Grover, Commissioner: “In this report, the Commission has documented for the first-time attacks by Russian authorities affecting cultural property and seizure of cultural objects. We have found that in the summer of 2023, the Russian armed forces committed indiscriminate attacks in Odessa city, affecting several buildings and the Transfiguration Cathedral located in the historic center.”
- Wide shot: speaker at the podium with journalists and photographers in press room
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Vrinda Grover, Commissioner: “The Commission investigated incidents of rape and other sexual violence committed against women in circumstances which also amount to torture. It also details incidents of torture with a sexualized dimension and threats of rape against Ukrainian male prisoners of war.”
- Close up: photographers taking pictures
- SOUNDBITE (English) - Vrinda Grover, Commissioner: “In its current report, it concludes that the transfer of a group of 46 children from the Kherson regional children home to Crimea was not temporary and hence amounts to war crime of unlawful transfer.”
- Wide shot, photographers taking pictures
- Medium shot, speakers at podium
- Close up, journalist taking photos with phone
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Press Conferences | CITES
Press conference with CITES Secretary-General ahead of 20th World Wildlife Conference.
1
1
2
Edited News | UN WOMEN
Sudan: Women’s bodies ‘a crime scene’ as tens of thousands flee El Fasher atrocities – UN Women
In war-torn Sudan, rape is being systematically used as a weapon and simply being a woman is “a strong predictor” of hunger, violence and death, the UN’s gender equality agency warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | UN WOMEN , UNHCR , WFP , UNICEF
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, which was attended by spokespersons and representatives from the UN Women, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the World Food Programme, the United Nations Children's Fund and the World Health Organization.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | UNEP
Major outcomes of the sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
The UN human rights office (OHCHR) on Friday called for an end to continuing expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, where “unchecked” settler violence has surged since the war in Gaza began more than two years ago.
1
1
1
Edited News | WFP
The crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to worsen amid ongoing fighting that has driven tens of thousands of people from their homes and created acute hunger, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said on Friday.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | OHCHR , UNHCR , UNICEF , WFP , WHO
Alessandra Vellucci, Director, United Nations Information Service Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by spokespersons and representatives of the World Food Programme, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Children’s Fund, and the World Health Organization.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | WMO , UNOG
2025 set to be second or third warmest year on record, continuing exceptionally high warming trend
The alarming streak of exceptional temperatures continued in 2025, which is set to be either the second or third warmest year on record, according to the State of the Global Climate Update from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
1
1
1
Press Conferences | UNECE
UNECE report: Forests of North America, Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia
1
1
1
Edited News | WFP
Gaza: One million receive food parcels as humanitarians race to ‘push back hunger’
Food is slowly returning to the shelves in Gaza amid “apocalyptic scenes” but supplies are still desperately inadequate, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday, as they issued fresh calls for wider access and continued financial support.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | WMO , ITU , WFP , WHO , UNHCR , IFRC
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, which was attended by spokespersons and representatives from the International Telecommunication Union, the World Food Programme, the World Health Organization, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and the United Nations Children's Fund.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Seif Magango today told the bi-weekly UN press briefing in Geneva of more details that are emerging on the atrocities committed in El Fasher, in Sudan during and after its takeover by the Rapid Support Forces.