On 13 March 2026, at the 61st Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Human Rights Research League, together with the Center for Civil Liberties, the Media Initiative for Human Rights, Physicians for Human Rights, the World Organization against Torture, and ZMINA Human Rights Center organized a Side Event on 'Russia's War on Civilians in Ukraine'. 

The panel, moderated by Saman Zia-Zarifi, Executive Director (Physicians for Human Rights), included interventions by Oleksandra Matviichuk, Chairwoman (Center for Civil Liberties), Tom Syring, Chairman (Human Rights Research League), Lyubov Smachylo, Head of the Analytical Department (Media Initiative for Human Rights), Uliana Poltavets, International Advocacy & Ukraine Program Coordinator (Physicians for Human Rights), and Borys Petruniok, Researcher & Analyst (Human Rights Center ZMINA).

Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale war of aggression, civilians have been actively targeted and subjected to Russia's campaign of  widespread and systematic abuses, including arbitrary detention, sexual violence, enforced disappearances, attacks on health care and energy infrastructure, and constant missile and drone attacks specifically aiming at civilians.

This panel explored how Russia's campaign of widespread and systematic abuses translated into sustained harm particularly to the civilian population, and what is needed to strengthen protection and accountability.

For further details, please see the Side Event flyer, and photographs from the panel: Image1, Image2, Image3, Image4, Image5.