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31 March 2023 UN Human Rights Council, 52nd session Item 10: Interactive dialogue on the High Commissioner's oral report on Ukraine   Statement delivered by the Permanent Representative of Lithuania Ambassador Darius Staniulis

Thank you Mr. President,

Lithuania aligns itself with the EU statement.

We appreciate the work of the Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine and thank the High Commissioner for the oral update.

For more than one year of Russia’s illegal and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine we are witnessing wide-scale destruction of Ukraine’s cities, deliberate attacks against civilians as well as civilian and critical energy infrastructure.

The OHCHR’s reports documented thousands of civilian casualties, as well as shocking brutality of Russian officers’, including torture, sexual violence and wilful killing of Ukrainian prisoners of war in full disregard of the Geneva Conventions.

We strongly condemn all violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, especially war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity committed by the Russian Federation in Ukraine. Furthermore, we call for an immediate return of all Ukrainian children that have been forcibly transferred to Russia.

Ensuring full accountability for Russia’s crimes in Ukraine, including for the crime of aggression, is the top priority. The OHCHR’s work on the ground, as well as the investigation carried out by the Commission of Inquiry, are key in that regard. Meticulous documentation of crimes and identification of the exact individuals who committed them is crucial in ensuring justice to victims.  

Mr. High Commissioner,

How could we facilitate the efforts to identify individual perpetrators?

I thank you.