Human Rights House Foundation – Intersession statement
High Commissioner’s oral update on Ukraine
16 December 2025
Check against delivery.
What began with the occupation of Crimea by the Russian Federation in 2014 has expanded into a broader pattern of violations: thousands killed or disappeared, widespread unlawful detention, and millions displaced or deprived of their basic rights. Among the gravest crimes is the unlawful deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children.
The member organisations of the Human Rights House Crimea continue to document the militarisation and enforced “russification” of children, including mandatory “patriotic training”, pressure to join military structures, and ideological programmes aimed at erasing Ukrainian identity. These organisations also report the continued use of torture, ill-treatment, and politically motivated prosecutions, particularly against Crimean Tatars, journalists, and community leaders.
Crimean civic activist Iryna Danylovych remains imprisoned after a fabricated verdict, her health gravely affected alongside the denial of essential medical care. Human rights defender Emir-Usein Kuku continues to serve a long sentence for his peaceful work, emblematic of the broader persecution of Crimean Tatars.
These ongoing violations obstruct any chance of reconciliation, sustainable peace, or recovery, while Russian state propaganda continues to distort facts and undermine global security. They also challenge the ability of the United Nations to uphold its core purposes and values, particularly as we look toward UN80.
President.
We ask the High Commissioner if the continued impunity for serious violations committed by the Russian Federation potentially emboldens other states and entities to similarly disregard international law and norms?
