Russia must return all illegally detained Ukrainian civilians, including children – EU and Ukraine
Civilians, including Ukrainian officials, journalists, activists, volunteers, religious figures, and others, continue to be subjected to politically motivated persecution and torture by Russia and are being held in inhumane conditions.
This was stated in a Joint Statement by the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas on behalf of the European Union and Ukraine on civilian detainees and the humanitarian consequences of Russia’s war of aggression, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.
"Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine continues to have devastating consequences for the civilian population, particularly in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. We discussed today in Brussels, in the margins of the Foreign Affairs Council, the grave situation of civilian detainees," the statement reads.
The EU and Ukraine said they strongly condemn Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine and its blatant violations of international humanitarian law and human rights.
"We reaffirm our strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders," the statement said.
It also noted that since the beginning of Russia’s aggression in 2014, Moscow has continued suppressing dissent and persecuting those it considers a threat to occupation authorities.
"Arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, widespread and systematic torture and ill-treatment, including sexual violence, unlawful deportation to the Russian Federation and forcible transfers to other parts of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, and the denial of fair trial rights and due process guarantees as well as family contact continue to be widely documented including by recent reports by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights," the statement said.
The signatories emphasized that civilians, including local officials, journalists, activists, volunteers, religious leaders, and others, remain targets of politically motivated persecution, torture, and inhumane detention conditions.
They also accused Russia of blocking independent observers, media representatives, and civil society from accessing temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories in order to prevent independent reporting and conceal systematic violations of human rights and humanitarian law.
"We urgently call on Russia and Belarus to ensure the immediate, safe and unconditional return to Ukraine of all arbitrarily detained, unlawfully deported and forcibly transferred Ukrainian civilians, including children," the statement stressed.
The signatories strongly condemned Russia’s systematic refusal to confirm the identities, locations, and fates of Ukrainians held captive or reported missing. They said this violates Russia’s obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law, and called on all states to increase coordinated pressure on Moscow to fulfill these obligations without further delay.
The statement separately stressed the importance of allowing the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to carry out its mandate.
"It must be ensured that ICRC has access to all places where Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian detainees are held, and contribute to the confirmation of the fate and whereabouts of persons reported missing in accordance with the Geneva Conventions," the statement said.
The EU reiterated its call for compliance with international humanitarian law and human rights law for all detainees, including ceasing the brutal executions and use of torture against prisoners of war and civilian detainees.
"We reaffirm our commitment to justice and full accountability for international crimes and other violations of international law committed in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. We encourage further sustained efforts within the framework of the Council of Europe towards the operationalisation of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine and the International Claims Commission for Ukraine," the statement concluded.
As reported by Ukrinform, on July 13, ahead of the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels, EU officials held an informal discussion with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and representatives of human rights organizations, including Oleksandra Matviichuk and Maksym Butkevych, on the issue of Ukrainian civilians illegally detained by Russia.
Photo: Bring Kids Back UA