Enforced Disappearances: Joint Statement to the OSCE, September 2025
The UK and others condemn Russia’s widespread and systematic violations of international law, including enforced disappearances in Ukraine.
Thank you, Chair.
I am delivering this statement on behalf of Canada, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and the United Kingdom.
The 30th of August marked the annual International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances. As such, at today’s Permanent Council, we would like to reaffirm our strong condemnation of enforced disappearances.
Enforced disappearance is inexcusable and despicable, wherever and whenever it takes place in our region. We continue to call for an end to this serious human rights violation and recall the OSCE commitments we all made in adopting the 2020 Tirana Ministerial Council Decision on the Prevention and Eradication of Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
We are deeply concerned by the continued use of enforced disappearances by the Russian Federation in Ukraine. In July this year ODIHR’s Seventh Interim Report on reported violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law in Ukraine documented continuing, widespread and systematic violations of international humanitarian and human rights law by Russia, including enforced disappearances.
In their report ODIHR found that civilians in Russian-occupied territories were arbitrarily detained, held incommunicado, and subjected to torture and ill-treatment. The report included testimony about cases of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances in both late 2024 and early 2025.
We call on Russia to cease these practices, to release all those unlawfully detained, and to provide information on the whereabouts of those who have been forcibly disappeared.
In closing, we jointly reaffirm our commitment to ending enforced disappearances. We remember the victims and survivors of enforced disappearances and stand in solidarity with their families and loved ones, in Ukraine, across the OSCE region and globally.
Thank you.