Oral presentation by the High Commissioner on the findings of the OHCHR periodic report on the situation of human rights in Ukraine
December 15, 2021
Statement by the Delegation of the United States of America
As Delivered by Patrick Elliot, Human Rights Officer
The United States welcomes the High Commissioner’s work and Ukraine’s ongoing cooperation.
We are gravely concerned by evidence that Russia has developed plans to take further aggressive action against Ukraine. We are unwavering in our support of Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.
OHCHR’s monitoring work is more important than ever. We thank OHCHR for its reporting on unjustified detention, torture, and other ill-treatment in the context of the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine. We call on Russia and its proxies in the Donbas to release all the Ukrainian hostages they hold and close the notorious Isolyatsia detention center.
The United States condemns Russia’s occupation of Crimea. We appreciate OHCHR’s reporting on Russia’s abuses there, including the numerous recent mass detentions of Crimean Tatars. We call for the release of deputy head of the Crimean Tatar Mejlis, Nariman Dzhelyal, Radio Liberty journalist Vladislav Yesypenko, and the more than 100 other Crimean political prisoners unjustly held by Russia.
Our Question is: What does OHCHR see as the greatest human rights concerns in the Russian-controlled and Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine amid the recent spike in tensions?