UN documents 621 cases of enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention of civilians by Russian armed forces – monitoring mission.

The new report of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine on the general human rights situation in Ukraine as of January 31, 2023 documents 621 cases of enforced disappearances and arbitrary detentions of civilians.

"In occupied areas of Ukraine, we have documented summary executions and attacks on individual civilians by Russian armed forces and the pervasive use of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances. Since 24 February 2022, we have documented 621 cases of enforced disappearances and arbitrary detention of civilians by Russian armed forces," Head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine Matilda Bogner said at a press conference in Kyiv on Friday.

She reported having interviewed 127 civilians who had previously been detained. Thus, 90% of them reported that the Russian military and the FSB tortured and ill-treated them while in custody, in some cases this included sexual violence.

"Five of these civilians were boys, between 14 and 17 years old, who had been forcibly disappeared by Russian armed forces and subjected to ill-treatment or torture," Bogner said.

The Mission also said that since February 24, 2022, "have documented 91 cases of enforced disappearances and arbitrary detention committed by Ukrainian security forces."

"Of the 73 victims we interviewed, 53 per cent had been tortured or ill-treated by members of Ukrainian armed forces and law enforcement agencies," Bogner said.

The UN also documented cases of displacement of civilians to areas in the occupied territory or in Russia, "some of which may amount to forced transfers or deportations."

"These transfers include children and adults who lived in social care institutions and unaccompanied children from parts of Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Kyiv and Odesa regions while they were occupied by the Russian Federation or temporarily controlled by Russian armed forces," according to the report.

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