KYIV: The United Nations in its report released on Wednesday claimed that Russia has tortured and arbitrarily detained people in occupied Ukraine, creating a “climate of fear” and suppressing Ukrainian identity.
The UN report painted a stark picture of widespread human rights violations and a climate of fear used by Moscow to rule the occupied Ukraine.
Since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has asserted control over significant territories in southern and eastern Ukraine, imposing its language, laws, and education curricula while silencing Ukrainian identity, according to the UN Human Rights Office report based on over 2,300 interviews.
The report accuses Russian armed forces of committing “widespread violations” of human rights law, including arbitrary detention of civilians often accompanied by torture and ill-treatment, as well as the suppression of free expression and peaceful protests. Russian authorities have also implemented a Russian curriculum in schools, aimed at justifying Moscow’s invasion and erasing Ukrainian identity among children.
UN Report on Russia’s Actions in Occupied Ukraine
Furthermore, Moscow has systematically restricted access to Ukrainian media and phone networks in the occupied regions, exerting control over information flow and exacerbating the isolation of individuals within affected communities.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, condemned Russia’s actions, stating that they have ruptured the social fabric of Ukrainian society and left people isolated with profound and enduring consequences.
Ukraine has vehemently accused Russia of widespread war crimes in the occupied territories, while the Kremlin continues to deny any wrongdoing, characterizing its actions as a “liberation” of the regions.
