HRC 62 – Oral statement on the situation in Ukraine

HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL 62nd Session 

Interactive Dialogue on oral presentation of High Commissioner on Ukraine and interim report of Secretary-General on human rights in Crimea.

3rd July 2026 

Mr. President, 

Mr Ruslan Lavryk, a Ukrainian engineer, used to work at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. In June 2024, Mr Lavryk was snatched from his home, detained, and cut off from the outside world by Russian troops. He was beaten, tortured, and starved. As of today, he has been arbitrarily detained for more than two years. 

In February of this year, Legal Action Worldwide submitted a complaint to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on behalf of ten Ukrainian civilians who have been arbitrarily detained by Russia, including Mr Lavryk. The complainants remain in Russian captivity, along with thousands of others.  

These crimes are well-documented by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission. Yet, little has been done for those illegally held captive. 

We call for the immediate and unconditional release of Ukrainian civilians unlawfully detained by Russia, followed by an independent investigation and the payment of compensation by Russia.  

Moreover, it is likely that Russia will ignore any findings that challenge its actions and continue its unlawful, brutal patterns of detention. It has done so in the past. Such levels of impunity cannot be allowed. 

Mr. President,  what will Member States and the Human Rights Council do to ensure that UN mechanisms are respected and that Ukrainian civilians arbitrarily detained by Russia are released?