ZMINA and partners prepared an alternative report to the UN Committee against Torture: human rights defenders assess progress and challenges

The coalition of Ukrainian human rights organisations, in cooperation with international partners, has prepared an alternative report to the UN Committee Against Torture on Ukraine’s compliance with its international obligations under the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The report will be presented during the 82nd Session of the Committee, which takes place from 7 April to 2 May 2025 in Geneva.

The report was prepared by the Human Rights Centre ZMINA, the Ukrainian Legal Advisory Group (ULAG), the NGO Ukraine without Torture and the NGO Freerights in cooperation with the international organisation World Organization Against Torture (OMCT).

This document is an alternative to the government report. It notes some progress, including developing the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM), partial implementation of the Istanbul Protocol, etc. At the same time, the authors emphasise the existence of systemic problems in the field of criminal justice and the treatment of people in places of detention.

The document provides an in-depth examination of several key aspects related to Ukraine’s compliance with the Convention. In particular, it analyses the extent to which the national definition of torture complies with the UN Convention against Torture. The authors of the report examine the procedures for investigating cases of torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, particularly whether they are effective, independent, and timely.

Attention is also paid to ensuring the basic rights of persons deprived of their liberty: access to a lawyer, a doctor, informing relatives of the fact of detention, receiving information about the charges and the ability to appeal to the court. Particular focus is placed on the inadmissibility of using evidence obtained under torture or the threat of torture in court.

The report highlights the problems associated with the conditions of detention in places of detention, including overcrowding, inadequate medical care and the treatment of vulnerable categories of persons. It also assesses the availability of compensation and rehabilitation mechanisms for victims of torture.

Another important area of analysis is the work of the national preventive mechanism and independent monitoring of places of deprivation of liberty. The report focuses on the challenges faced by human rights defenders in Ukraine, as well as the state of freedom of civil society in general.

The report pays special attention to the consequences of the armed conflict, documenting and investigating torture committed in the context of Russian aggression against Ukraine.

This document is intended to provide the Committee with objective information and facilitate an impartial assessment of Ukraine’s compliance with its international obligations.

The analytical report is available in Ukrainian and English.