37^th session of the Human Rights Council

Item 3

Clustered interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment

Intervention by Ukraine

 (Geneva, March 1, 2018)

Mr. President,

Ukraine welcomes this dialogue with both Special Rapporteurs and thanks them for presentation of their reports, focused on the rights of migrants and “people on the move”. While these topics are undeniably acute and challenging, I would like to address Mr Melzer with regard to his forthcoming visit to Ukraine, where we are ready to receive his mission in May - June this year.

The Government of Ukraine remains committed to the prevention of torture and ill-treatment, and to prosecuting those guilty of these crimes. Ukraine has developed constructive cooperation with the Special Rapporteur on torture and commends your, Mr Melzer, efforts in fulfilling this important mandate.

We would like you to take into account that armed aggression by Russia, which started by attempted annexation and occupation of Crimea and continued by ongoing hostilities in Donbas, caused numerous gross and systemic violations of human rights. Establishment of a network of illegal detention places by Russian occupation administration in temporarily occupied Donbas led to violations of fundamental human rights, including the right to life, the right to be free from torture and cruel treatment, and the right to fair trial. The Russian proxies are continuing to use the shameful practice of illegally detaining, sentencing, torturing and ill-treating Ukrainian citizens.

Same practice is used by the occupying authorities in Crimea, disproportionally affecting members of Crimean Tatar community.

The Government of Ukraine does not have access to the occupied parts of its territory. We call on you to pay proper attention during your visit, in cooperation with Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, to the systematic use of unlawful interrogation practices, torture and methods of psychological pressure towards the citizens of Ukraine, performed, in violation of the international law, in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Comprehensive implementation of the provisions of the Optional Protocol to CAT is among the priorities for Ukraine. The UN Subcommittee’s Prevention of Torture delegation visited Ukraine in 2016.  Ukraine submitted its response on measures undertaken to fulfil the SPT’s recommendations and subsequently decided to make the response public. Recently, Ukraine also submitted to the SPT the Road Map on implementation of these recommendations.

Ukrainian authorities are fully committed to providing integrity of visits of Special Procedures and other monitoring mechanisms in order to ensure full implementation of their mandates.

I thank you.