Interactive Dialogue on the Oral Presentation of the High Commissioner on Ukraine
And the Interim Report of the Secretary General on Human Rights in Crimea
As Delivered by Ambassador Michèle Taylor
Human Rights Council – 53rd Session
Thank you, Mr. Vice President.
Thank you, High Commissioner, for your excellent reporting on the dire human rights situation brought on the people of Ukraine by Russia’s war.
It bears repeating that Russia alone is responsible for this war of choice and Russia alone can end it today.
Objective reporting is critical to achieving accountability for the crimes against humanity committed against Ukraine’s civilians, including torture, rape, murder and deportation of children.
These abuses are not random or spontaneous; they are part of the Kremlin’s widespread and systematic attack against Ukraine’s civilian population.
We must not forget that Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine began in 2014 in Crimea and the Donbas. There, the Kremlin has worked to dismantle a once vibrant civil society through mass arrests, detentions, and disappearances.
The United States stands with all those unjustly detained by Russia and its proxies across Ukraine, including the more than 150 political prisoners in Crimea.
We are in awe of the continued bravery of Ukraine’s civil society and human rights defenders, as well as the resilience of the people of Ukraine.
High Commissioner, your meticulous report on civilian detentions is a credit to the extraordinary members of the Human Rights Monitoring Mission who continue to be denied access to Russia-controlled territory.
What additional steps can we take to promote accountability for Russia’s unjust arrests and detentions of civilians in Ukraine?
I thank you.
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