PRESS RELEASE : The evidence of Russia’s violations of international humanitarian law is substantial and growing – UK statement to the OSCE [October 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 3 October 2024.

Deputy Ambassador Brown condemns Russia’s treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians, which violates the Geneva Conventions.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Good morning, colleagues.

This year we commemorated the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Geneva Conventions of 1949. Born out of the horrors of the Second World War, they are a recognition that, even in times of hostilities, there must be limits on the suffering that we inflict upon our enemies.

The four Geneva Conventions have been ratified by all of us and, along with the Additional Protocols, serve as the foundation of International Humanitarian Law. Indeed, the fulfilment in good faith of our obligations under international law is the tenth principle from the Helsinki Final Act, the bedrock of this organisation.

It is deeply concerning, therefore, to see a substantial and growing body of evidence demonstrating the disregard Russia has shown for International Humanitarian Law.

Article 13 of the Third Geneva Convention states “Prisoners of war must at all times be humanely treated.” This week the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights published their latest report, which concluded that torture of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) by Russia is widespread and systematic. They reached this conclusion after interviews with 174 POWs, 97% of whom described experiencing torture or ill-treatment. 68% said they had experienced sexual violence. The report finds it highly unlikely that the authorities were unaware of how prisoners were being treated; it also suggests there is a significant level of coordination between different state entities and widespread knowledge of the use of torture. These findings are consistent with those by other independent international organisations, including the Moscow Mechanism report published in April this year.

Senior Russian officials have even called for the execution of Ukrainian POWs. We are alarmed that, just yesterday, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General reported that Russian troops had allegedly executed sixteen surrendering Ukrainian soldiers near Pokrovsk.

The Fourth Geneva Convention concerns the protection of civilians in times of war. It prohibits unlawful violence to life, cruel treatment and torture, and it places strict legal grounds on the deprivation of a civilian’s liberty. In that Moscow Mechanism report, the panel of independent experts found that Russia had arbitrarily detained thousands of Ukrainian civilians. It also found that civilians had been denied the guarantees that should have been afforded to them under international law and subjected to torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. The UN’s latest report shows how arbitrary detention and torture of civilians has continued in recent months. We demand that Russia allows independent observers full access to all places where Ukrainian POWs and civilian detainees are held – just as Ukraine does for Russian detainees.

We remain appalled by the ongoing detention of the three staff members of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission, who have been wrongly imprisoned for more than two years for activities carried out while working for the OSCE. We call again for their immediate release.

Madam Chair, 75 years ago, mankind’s barbarity required us to bolster the laws of war. We must not pass on a similar burden to our successors. Thank you.