Ukraine has already identified almost 16,000 people who have become victims of illegal detentions by the Russian Federation. This was stated by the Ombudsman of Ukraine Dmytro Lubinets in his Telegram, UNN reports.
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The situation with violations of the rights of Ukrainian civilians is critical! I appeal to the international community! Russia systematically violates the norms of international humanitarian law by forcibly displacing the civilian population. We are talking about Ukrainians who were taken out of our territories by the occupiers since the beginning of 2022, as well as citizens who were deprived of their freedom since 2014. Women, men, children, the elderly and people with disabilities are forcibly "evacuated" from their homes under the threat of weapons, depriving them of choice and hope of return!
He notes that these "evacuations" are accompanied by a systematic isolation of people from the outside world: in many cases, means of communication are taken away, access to information is restricted, and contact with relatives is deliberately made impossible.
As of today, Ukraine has identified almost 16,000 civilians who have become victims of illegal detentions by the aggressor state. There is confirmed information about the detention of more than 1,800 people on the territory of the Russian Federation, of which 880 have been confirmed by the ICRC, including since 2014. At the same time, the real number of illegally detained civilians may be much higher due to limited access to information!
In connection with the systematic violations of international humanitarian law committed by Russia, the Ombudsman appealed to the international community. He called for increased pressure on the Russian Federation - political, legal, sanctions. He also called for joining the process of returning home all evacuated, deported civilian Ukrainians, including children, as well as prisoners of war. The Ombudsman also stressed the need to strengthen the mission of observation and monitoring to record all crimes. Lubinets called for facilitating the bringing of those responsible to justice.
I emphasize that violations of IHL norms regarding civilians are systematic. These are coordinated crimes and are part of the targeted policy of the aggressor state! The world must understand: Russia is waging a war of aggression against Ukraine and Ukrainian identity