UN Experts: Russia’s War Driving Widening Human Rights Crisis

“Four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the strategy of repression at home and aggression abroad has soared as the war remains a source of immense suffering,” the experts said.

UN human rights experts have warned that Russia’s war against Ukraine is fuelling an escalating human rights crisis both inside Russia and in territories under its control, as the conflict enters its fifth year.

In a joint statement marking the anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022, the experts said repression at home and aggression abroad have intensified, leaving victims sidelined and justice increasingly obstructed.

“Four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the strategy of repression at home and aggression abroad has soared as the war remains a source of immense suffering,” the experts said.

They cautioned that any peace discussions that exclude victims, sideline accountability, or marginalise Ukraine’s participation would undermine prospects for a durable settlement.

Repression Inside Russia

The experts said Russian authorities have transformed national security and public safety laws into tools for silencing dissent and crushing anti-war expression.

Peaceful critics of the war have been charged with offences such as “treason,” “espionage,” “extremism,” and “terrorism,” often under broadly interpreted legislation.

Among cases cited:

• Writer Boris Akunin was sentenced in absentia to 14 years’ imprisonment in 2025 for “justifying terrorism” due to his anti-war stance.

• Svetlana Savelyeva was allegedly tortured for two months, including beatings and electric shocks, to force a confession of “treason.”

• Poet Artyom Kamardin received a seven-year prison sentence after publicly reading anti-war poetry in Moscow in 2022. He reportedly suffered sexual violence during arrest, with no subsequent criminal investigation opened.

Digital repression has also intensified, with individuals prosecuted for online searches or private communications deemed critical of the war.

More than 2,000 political prisoners — including journalists, lawyers, human rights defenders and activists — are believed to remain detained in Russia, with deaths in custody continuing to be reported.

Allegations of Torture and Enforced Disappearances

The experts described a pattern of widespread and systematic abuses against Ukrainians, including enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention and torture.

Since 2014 — and particularly after 2022 — thousands of Ukrainian civilians have reportedly been forcibly disappeared. More than 1,700 are said to remain arbitrarily detained and held incommunicado in Russian prisons, many without access to adequate medical care, food or water.

By February 2026, the bodies of 206 Ukrainians who died in detention had reportedly been returned.

The statement also detailed allegations of torture during interrogation and detention, including beatings, electric shocks, sexual violence and mock executions. Some former detainees described prolonged abuse and a lack of judicial investigation into complaints.

The experts stressed that enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention, torture and unlawful killings may constitute crimes against humanity when carried out as part of a widespread or systematic attack.

Attack on International Justice

The UN experts further condemned Russia’s reported prosecution in absentia of officials from the International Criminal Court (ICC) following the issuance of arrest warrants for President Vladimir Putin and Children’s Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova over the alleged unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children.

They described the move as a direct attack on the independence of international justice and a violation of international law aimed at avoiding accountability.

Calls for Immediate Release

As the conflict continues, the experts called for the immediate and unconditional release of:

• All Ukrainian civilian detainees

• Forcibly transferred and deported Ukrainian children

• Ukrainian and Russian prisoners of war

• Political prisoners and human rights defenders detained in Russia

They urged Russia to end torture, halt enforced disappearances, rescind repressive legislation and ensure independent investigations into deaths in custody and other alleged violations.

“These steps are essential foundations for any credible peace process,” the experts said.

“Standing in solidarity with the victims of the war against Ukraine means standing for justice. The strategy of repression at home and aggression abroad must be dismantled to end impunity and make lasting peace possible.”