09/04/2022 18:54

Commissioner: citizens forcibly evacuated from Donetsk to Russia are returned to the combat zone

"Russian hospitality" - the occupier returns the citizens of Ukraine forcibly evacuated to the Russian Federation back to the Donetsk region, where active hostilities continue.

Prior to the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine under the pretext of aggravation of the security situation since February 18, 2022, the occupiers forced the evacuation of the local population from the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk region to Russia, primarily women, children, the elderly and people with disabilities.

Now the occupation authorities in the temporarily occupied territory of Donetsk region have received instructions from russian curators to return people to settlements at the place of registration or residence in the temporarily occupied territory of Donetsk region.

The forcible return of civilians to the territory where hostilities are taking place is a direct violation of Article 2 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and may lead to the deliberate killing of Ukrainian citizens.

I appeal to the UN Commission for Investigation Human Rights Violations during Russia's Military Invasion of Ukraine and the expert mission set up by the OSCE participating States under the Moscow Mechanism to take into account these human rights violations in Ukraine.