Torture as a tool of persecution: Russian practices against Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war

The side event “Torture as a Tool of Persecution: Russian Practices Against Ukrainian Civilians and Prisoners of War” takes place on June 30, 2026, at 9:00 — 10:00 in Bibliotheksaal on the margins of the OSCE Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting III. It is organized by the Human Rights Centre ZMINA, the Media Initiative for Human Rights, the Permanent Delegation of Ukraine to the International Organisations in Vienna, the Permanent Delegation of Norway to the OSCE and the Permanent Delegation of Denmark to the International Organisations in Vienna.

Since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Russian authorities and affiliated structures have been systematically using torture and ill-treatment against Ukrainian civilians and Ukrainian prisoners of war. Numerous testimonies indicate patterns of severe physical and psychological abuse, incommunicado detention, sexualized violence, deprivation of medical care and other forms of ill-treatment in violation of international humanitarian and criminal laws.

These practices occur in the broader context of persecution carried out against individuals perceived as disloyal to the occupation authorities or supportive of Ukraine. Within this context, torture has been used for multiple purposes, including coercion and punishment, intimidation of detainees and local communities, humiliation and dehumanization of victims, extraction of forced confessions and preparation of fabricated criminal cases.

This side event will explore:

• The systematic nature of torture and ill-treatment committed by Russian authorities against Ukrainian civilians and POWs.
• Torture in the context of persecution in occupied territories, and its purpose.
• Survivor testimonies and documented cases.
• Legal qualification of documented crimes.
• Recommendations for OSCE participating States and international accountability mechanisms.

Opening remarks: 

• Ambassador Ellen Svendsen, Permanent Representative of Norway to the OSCE

Speakers:

• Yelyzaveta Sokurenko, Head of the International Crimes Documentation Department, Human Rights Centre ZMINA
• Lyubov Smachylo, Head of the Analytical Department, Media Initiative for Human Rights
• Maryna Zabavska, mother of Ivan Zabavskyi, a volunteer and civilian detainee from the Kharkiv region
• Former POW, who endured torture during 2.5 years of Russian detention
• Andrii Atamanchuk, Department for Combating Crimes Committed in Armed Conflict, Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine

Closing remarks: 

• Ambassador Christian Grønbech-Jensen, Permanent Representative of Denmark to the International Organisations in Vienna

Moderator:

• Ambassador Yurii Vitrenko, Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the International Organisations in Vienna

Access to the event will be granted only to registered participants of the OSCE SHDM III.

Contact: Tetiana Zhukova, Human Rights Centre ZMINA, tz@zmina.ua