REPORT ON THE RESULTS OF MONITORING “ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES IN CERTAIN TEMPORARILY OCCUPIED TERRITORIES OF UKRAINE (CRIMEA, PARTS OF ZAPORIZHZHIA AND KHERSON REGIONS)”
This Report has been prepared for human rights defenders, representatives of state authorities, international organizations, and all those working on the issue of enforced disappearances of civilians in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. It provides a systematic analysis of the scale, mechanisms, and consequences of this practice, and offers recommendations for its documentation, legal qualification, and prevention.
The document is based on the results of monitoring covering the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, the city of Sevastopol, and certain districts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. The Report consolidates documented cases, expert interviews, analysis of open sources, and official responses from state authorities.
The Report describes:
- the mechanics of enforced disappearances — from the moment of detention to incommunicado isolation and the subsequent “legalization” of detention;
- the role of the Russian Federation’s security structures, in particular the FSB, in coordinating and carrying out these actions;
- the likely purposes of detentions, typical scenarios, places of unlawful detention, and practices of concealing information;
- the scale of the use of torture and other forms of ill-treatment;
- categories of victims among the civilian population;
- the impact of enforced disappearances on victims’ families and local communities, including psychological, social, and legal consequences;
- the effectiveness of Ukraine’s national response mechanisms and the limitations of international instruments.
Particular attention is paid to the legal qualification of enforced disappearances under international humanitarian law, international human rights law, and international criminal law. The Report substantiates that this practice is systemic and coordinated in nature and may constitute a crime against humanity.
The practical value of the Report lies in the conclusions, recommendations, and demands formulated as a result of the research, addressed to Ukraine, the international community, civil society, and the Russian Federation. These are aimed at putting an end to the practice of enforced disappearances, ensuring access to truth and justice, and strengthening support for victims and their families.
The Report is intended to counter enforced disappearances in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. It is analytical and recommendatory in nature and is designed to serve as a tool for documenting international crimes, advocacy efforts, and further legal actions at both national and international levels.
Authors: Experts of the NGO “Human Rights Educational House — Chernihiv” and the NGO “Crimean Process”
Compiled by: Andrii Zubariev, Director of the NGO “Human Rights House Crimea”
Prepared with the financial support of Norway and the Human Rights House Foundation. The project “Countering Enforced Disappearances in the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine” is implemented by the NGO “Human Rights House Crimea” in partnership with the NGO “Human Rights Educational House — Chernihiv” and the NGO “Crimean Process.” The content of this Report is the sole responsibility of the NGO “Human Rights House Crimea” and does not in any way reflect the official position of the Government of Norway.