How the practice of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance has evolved under occupation: an analysis of documented cases, 2023–2024
The objective of this research is to examine cases of arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, and torture of civilians in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine that occurred in 2023–2024. Particular attention is paid to changes in the nature and systematic nature of such violations compared to the period at the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022. The report separately analyses the impact of the institutional consolidation of the occupation authorities on the increasing risks for civilians, particularly in the context of politically motivated persecution.
This report is based on an analysis of 23 testimonies from victims and their family members collected by the Human Rights Centre ZMINA through in-depth interviews. The interviews were conducted in accordance with international standards for documenting cases of enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions and torture, including the recommendations of the Istanbul Protocol. The methodology also takes into account the practical experience of documentation that ZMINA has been conducting since September 2022.
The report also draws on open source monitoring of cases of arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances and violations of the right to a fair trial of civilians in the territories of Ukraine occupied after 24 February 2022. The information collected from open sources was used in this study as a supplementary analytical resource. Work with open sources involves continuous verification and updating of data, which ensures a higher level of accuracy and comprehensiveness of the research. For this purpose, ZMINA applies, inter alia, the Berkeley Protocol.
This report was prepared as part of the project “Fighting impunity for the gravest international crimes in the context of the Russian armed aggression in Ukraine”, implemented with the support of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. The views and ideas expressed in this publication are solely those of the author(s) and do not reflect the position or policy of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs or the Swiss Government.
The analytical report is available in English and Ukrainian.
