Human Rights Research League

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Research. Education. Advocacy. Development. (R.E.A.D.)

Ukraine

 

In the fourth year of its war of aggression against Ukraine, the Russian Federation continues its flagrant violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, as comprehensively documented by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights as well as the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine.

 

Among the many atrocities committed, particularly outrageous is the treatment accorded to Ukrainian servicemen and -women hors de combat, POWs and retained medical personnel, who have been systematically and in a widespread manner subjected to torture, including sexual violence, by the Russian authorities. 

 

Other appallling actions by the Russian Federation concern the expansion of its activities of indoctrinating Ukrainian children in Russian occupied territory and enrolling them in military training for service to the Russian State. Compelling in this fashion allegiance to an Occupying Power is contrary to both IHL and IHRL.

 

The sum of the atrocities committed against, and policies enforced upon Ukrainians by the Russian Federation in its war of aggression against Ukraine have caused tremendous physical and psychological harm to the people of Ukraine. 

 

Human Rights Research League regularly intervenes on these and other issues of concern to Ukraine at the UN Human Rights Council, submits written statements to the UN, organizes side events, seminars and conference, and has supported Ukraine in Rule of Law initiatives and in the form of providing guest lectures on Upholding Human Rights to students at universities in Ukraine during the ongoing war.  

 

 

 

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.