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.
