The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Press Conferences , Edited News | HRC
HRC - Press conference: Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine - 19 March 2025
Ukrainians tortured, raped, executed by Russian captors, Human Rights Council hears
The Human Rights Council on Wednesday heard gruesome testimony of torture, rape and execution of Ukrainian detainees and soldiers allegedly committed by Russian forces, as a high-level independent probe into Russia’s full-scale invasion delivered its latest mandated report in Geneva.
According to the Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, enforced disappearances of civilians committed by Russian authorities have been “widespread and systematic” and likely amount to crimes against humanity.
“Many persons have been missing for months or years and some have died,” said Erik Mose, Chair of the independent investigative panel, whose Commissioners are not UN staff nor paid for their work. “The faith and whereabouts of many remain unknown, leaving their families in agonizing uncertainty.”
Requests from families of missing persons to Russian authorities for information about their relatives are typically met with unhelpful replies, while one young man was “detained and beaten when he went to the authorities to enquire about his missing girlfriend”, the Commission noted.
As in previous presentations prepared for the Human Rights Council, the Commission’s latest report contains equally disturbing findings about the use of torture by Russian authorities, panel member Vrinda Grover told journalists in Geneva: “A civilian woman who had been raped during confinement in a detention facility held by Russian authorities stated that she pleaded with the perpetrators, telling them she could be their mother's age, but they dismissed her saying. ‘B***h, don't even compare yourself to my mother. You are not even a human. You do not deserve to live.’ We have concluded that Russian authorities committed the war crimes of rape and sexual violence as a form of torture.”
Ms. Grover noted that the Commissioners’ investigations confirmed that members of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) “exercised the highest authority. They committed or ordered torture at various stages of detention, and in particular during interrogations, when some of the most brutal treatment was inflicted”.
Challenged about the focus on alleged rights abuses by Russian authorities in their latest report, the Commissioners noted that they had detailed alleged violations committed by the Ukrainian forces “whenever we have found [them]”.
Commissioner Pablo de Greiff also noted that despite more than 30 requests for information from Russian authorities about possible Ukrainian attacks, “we have received absolutely none” and pointed to evidence of reprisals against supposed collaborators working with the Russian authorities.
Another aspect of the independent rights investigators’ report involves a growing number of incidents in which the Russian armed forces apparently killed or wounded Ukrainian soldiers who were captured or attempted to surrender. “This constitutes a war crime,” Mr. de Greiff said, relaying the testimony of a former soldier who alleged that “a deputy brigade commander told the entire regiment, quote, 'Prisoners are not needed, shoot them on the spot.'”
STORY: Press conference - Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine
TRT: 03’05”
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 19 March 2025 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
Speakers:
- Erik Møse, Chair, UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine
- Pablo de Greiff, Commissioner, UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine
- Vrinda Grover, Commissioner, UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine
SHOTLIST
- Exterior medium shot: Palais des Nations, Flag Alley
- Wide shot of podium with speakers.
- SOUNDBITE (English) - Pablo de Greiff, Commissioner, UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine: "The Commission examined a growing number of incidents in which the Russian armed forces killed or wounded Ukrainian soldiers who were captured or attempted to surrender. This constitutes a war crime."
- Medium shot of journalist holding camera.
- SOUNDBITE (English) - Pablo de Greiff, Commissioner, UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine: “The Commission found that both parties to the armed conflict using drones killed or wounded visibly injured soldiers who could no longer defend themselves. This is also a war crime.”
- Wide shot of journalists, participants in the press room.
- SOUNDBITE (English) - Pablo de Greiff, Commissioner, UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine: “One former soldier stated that in a meeting, a deputy brigade commander told the entire regiment. Quote, 'Prisoners are not needed, shoot them on the spot.' Close quote."
- Wide shot: speakers at podium.
- SOUNDBITE (English) - Vrinda Grover, Commissioner, UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine: “Russian authorities have committed torture pursuant to a coordinated State policy and as crimes against humanity. Personnel of the Federal Security Service, referred to as FSB in Russian, exercise the highest authority when present in detention facilities they committed or ordered torture during various stages of detention.”
- Medium shot of press room.
- SOUNDBITE (English) - Vrinda Grover, Commissioner, UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine: “A civilian woman who had been raped during confinement in a detention facility held by Russian authorities stated that she pleaded with the perpetrators, telling them she could be their mother's age, but they dismissed her saying. B***h, don't even compare yourself to my mother. You are not even a human. You do not deserve to live. We have concluded that Russian authorities committed the war crimes of rape and sexual violence as a form of torture.”
- Wide shot of journalists, participants in press room.
- SOUNDBITE (English) - Pablo de Greiff, Commissioner, UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine: “We documented some violations of human rights law committed by Ukrainian authorities against persons they accused of collaboration with Russian authorities.”
- Wide shot of speakers at podium.
- SOUNDBITE (English) - Erik Møse, Chair, UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine: “Many persons have been missing for months or years and some have died. The faith and whereabouts of many remain unknown, leaving their families in agonizing uncertainty.”
- Close up of journalist nodding.
- Close up of participant listening.
- Wide shot of journalists, participants in press room.
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
The UN Human Rights spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan made the following comment on the killing of journalists in Gaza at the bi-weekly press briefing.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
The UN Human Rights Office on Tuesday called on Egyptian authorities to end the practice known as “rotation”, which allows Government critics to be held arbitrarily and for prolonged periods.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | UNOG , OHCHR
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 of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on deadly attacks by the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , OHCHR , UNITED NATIONS , WFP , WHO
Gaza: Famine “irrefutably” confirmed, UN humanitarians unite in plea for aid access
Famine has been confirmed in Gaza Governorate by the world’s top authority on food security and will spread further within the Strip unless fighting stops and much more aid is allowed in, UN humanitarians said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on the eighth anniversary of military assault on the Rohingya in Myanmar
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on the declared famine in Gaza Governorate
1
1
1
Press Conferences | OCHA , UNITED NATIONS
Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, briefed the press in Geneva on Friday on famine in Gaza.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | OCHA , OHCHR , WHO , WFP , UNHCR
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, as well as representatives and spokespersons of the World Health Organization, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Refugee Agency, the World Food Programme, and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
3
36
1
2
Edited News , Statements , Images , Conferences | HRC , OCHA , UNOG
A record 383 aid workers were killed last year with hundreds more wounded, kidnapped and detained, the UN’s top aid official said on Tuesday in a call for accountability, at a solemn ceremony in Geneva to mark World Humanitarian Day.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan made the following statement at today’s biweekly press briefing in Geneva:
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
“In Gaza, the Israeli army has intensified its attacks in the north of the strip,” UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan told the biweekly press briefing in Geneva on Tuesday.