21st Meeting - 60th Session of Human Rights Council

Okay, dear colleagues, distinguished delegates, excellencies, I hereby declare open the 21st meeting of the 60th session of the Human Rights Council. We will now continue with interactive dialogue with the fact-finding mission on Venezuela, and we will go back to the list of speakers for national human rights institutions and non-governmental organizations. Therefore, we have a video message from Lawyers for Lawyers.

Lawyers to lawyers, the International Bar Association, Human Rights Institute, I would like to.

Thank the fact-finding mission for this report. An alarming cycle of oppression persists in Venezuela, where the ongoing prosecution of dissent continues to shrink and close civic space. Since the 2024 elections, an increasingly hostile environment for the legal profession has taken hold. Lawyers are systematically denied access to clients and case files, and face intimidation and/or the possibility of arrest simply for carrying out their professional duties. At least 823 individuals remain in detention for political reasons, including lawyers such as Orosio San Miguel, Kennedy Tejeda and Eduarda Torres. Like other political prisoners, these individuals have been subjected to enforced disappearance, torture and denial of their right to choose their own legal representation. In many cases, criminalisation of lawyers and others reflects a broader pattern of stigmatisation, where lawyers are branded as enemies of the state. In addition to all of the aforementioned, at least 40 individuals, including human rights defenders, have had their passports arbitrarily cancelled by the authorities. Such practices foster a climate of fear among lawyers and severely obstruct access to justice. We call for the immediate and unconditional release of our colleague San Miguel Tejeda Torres and all others detained for political reasons. We further urge this Council to maintain a strong and robust response in light of the deterioration of the rule of law in Venezuela and to take all steps to ensure that lawyers are able to carry out their professional duties freely and safely.

Now we have another video message from Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales.

In Venezuela, over the last three months, we have seen an increase in levels of persecution targeting organisations of relatives of political prisoners. Such actions undermine their rights to assembly and association, to freedom of expression, to protest, to dignity, to physical integrity, to freedom and to justice. One example of all the aforementioned is police harassment that we have seen since June, targeting the house of the Badoull sisters, who are relatives of those represented by the KIPFE organization. We also saw the dissolution using violence and threats carried out by parastatal police organizations on 5 August, targeting 60 relatives of political prisoners who formed the Committee for Mothers who are Champions of the Truth, who were holding a vigil in front of the Supreme Justice Court. calling for a meeting with the authorities. Three days later, Marthalia Grajales, the coordinator of the NGO Sargentas, leaving a meeting with the aforementioned NGO, the Mothers Champions of Truth, in front of the United Nations, is arrested. She was accused of three crimes. Her telephone, which had been stolen on the 5th of August, was used by the police as proof of her wrongdoing. She's also been prevented from nominating a lawyer that she trusts. The President, the Minister of the Interior and the Prosecutor General have made statements criminalizing the Committee of Mothers Champions of Truth, the NGO Sargentis and other related organizations. We call upon the fact-finding mission and the Human Rights Council to continue its monitoring role and to promote and foster public debate on these facts so that the Venezuelan State feels pressure to live up to its obligations in the field of human rights.

Now another video message from the World Organization Against Torture.

The Venezuelan state maintains a policy of persecution, intimidation and criminalization to silence the population. Practices such as arbitrary detention, forced disappearance, the dismantling of legal guarantees, the cancellation of passports and unjustified detentions at airports and migration entry and exit points have become commonplace, targeting social leaders, journalists and human rights defenders. NGOs have recorded more than 1,038 cases of persons detained on political grounds, including at least 42 foreigners. They are being held in places that have been defined by the United Nations as centers of torture. We continue to document cases of torture and cruel treatment targeting people detained in the post-electoral context. These Tools, torture, and ill treatment are designed to break their identity, and they leave a severe impact on both the victims themselves, of course, but also on their relatives and society as a whole. This persecution, criminalization continues targeting human rights defenders, many of them held incommunicado, such as Rocio San Miguel and Eduardo Torres. Recently, on the 16th of September 2025, the Pedro Hernandez was arbitrarily detained. and so were the father and the wife of Mr. Pedro Hernandez Sarrano when they went to inquire what was happening about him. We call upon Member States of this Council to continue vigilant and to continue to call on the Venezuelan State to immediately cease these practices.

Now we have a message from Amnesty International.

Mr. President, a human rights crisis of the scale seen in Venezuela cannot be normalized or ignored.

As of early September, over 800 people, including four children, remain arbitrarily detained.

And thousands are being subjected to unfair trials while suffering inhuman prison conditions. Civic space faces ever-growing threats, and human rights defenders remain detained, including Javier Tarazona, Rocio San Miguel, Carlos Julio Rojas, Kennedy Tejeda, Eduardo Torres, and Pedro Hernandez. In July, Amnesty International published new findings detailing how enforced disappearances are being committed as part of a widespread and systematic attack on the civilian population in Venezuela. Victims from Venezuela, Spain, Colombia, France, and Ukraine are amongst the individuals whose fate and whereabouts remain unknown.

As we speak, more than 40 people remain forcibly disappeared.

We call on Venezuelan authorities to disclose the fate and whereabouts of all detainees and immediately release all those arbitrarily detained for political reasons in the country. We ask the fact-finding mission how it could be better supported by this Council, including in the light of the present liquidity crisis, and how States could take further action for accountability, including in support of investigations by the International Criminal Court.

Thank you.

Now I invite the representative of International Commission of Jurists. Madam, please.

Vice President, the ICJ concurs with the findings of the recent report of the independent international fact-finding mission, highlighting the responsibility of military forces for gross human rights violations in Venezuela, as well as, crimes against humanity which have occurred in recent years, primarily in the context of the repression of protests. And the ICJ is alarmed by the continued misuse of the judicial system, in particular to suppress the rights to freedom of expression and of assembly and association. The aggravating patterns of repression include arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances with individuals who, in many instances, are held incommunicado for days, weeks, or months. their families continue to live in a heightened sense of anxiety, not knowing the whereabouts of their relatives or whether they have been tortured or otherwise ill-treated. These individuals only reappear to be charged with crimes before judges and by prosecutors who lack independence, and, once charged, they do not have the possibility to be represented by lawyers of their own choosing that can effectively defend them. An example of such nefarious practices is the recent case of lawyers and human rights defenders Eduardo Torres and Marta Grajales. The ICJ is also concerned about the practice of releasing these individuals while keeping them subjected to a never-ending series of pre-trial measures and ongoing unfair trials. Against this backdrop, the ICJ urges state members and observers of this Council to continue to engage actively with the FMM and other relevant international mechanisms, whose contribution is key to ensure accountability for gross human rights violations and crimes under international law in Venezuela, and to ensure justice for the victims thereof. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Now we have a video message from Christian Solidarity Worldwide.

President, CSW thanks the Independent Fact-Finding Mission for its timely report. Religious leaders from all groups in Venezuela are under constant surveillance. Government informants in congregations are common, and officers from the National Intelligence Service routinely harass and threaten those viewed as unsupportive of Maduro's government. Religious leaders who are perceived as saying the wrong thing are treated as traitors and are likely to be arbitrarily detained or at times attacked by illegal armed groups supported by the regime. Among those currently in detention is Pastor Griselia Josefina Solizano Malpica, who was arrested on unfounded charges of terrorism, embezzlement, and conspiracy in June 2024. Pastor Solizano Malpica's arrest was clearly political. She was accused of being one of those responsible for losing the internal elections of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela when she worked for the Legislative Council of Apure from 2008 to 2013. The pastor has been transferred to a prison in Caracas, over 400 kilometers away from her home, in an effort to isolate her from her family and church and pressure her into providing information on other government targets. CSW calls on the government of Venezuela to release Pastor Solizano Malpica and all other unjustly detained religious leaders and human rights defenders immediately and without condition. We also urge the government to guarantee freedom for religious leaders to carry out their work without harassment, threats, or government pressure targeting them or their families. Thank you.

Okay. That was the last speaker we were able to accommodate during this session. And I will rapidly give the floor to Mrs. Patricia Tapata Valdez for the final remarks. I remind you, you have one minute.

The visible practice that has only intensified of the detention of foreign individuals, as well as the release of some only to be immediately detained and incarcerated afterwards, is a new tool that is being used to harass and extort individuals. There needs to be one additional point that we would like to underline, and that is that the fact-finding mission has functioned throughout this year with a severely reduced number of staff, which has made it very difficult, even in some instances impossible, for us to be able to fully discharge our responsibilities under our mandate. So I use this opportunity to appeal to this Human Rights Council to take the necessary steps to ensure that we have a full team in place, as well as full resources, to be able to fulfill the mandate that you yourselves have conferred upon us. Thank you very much. All of these serious violations and international crimes that we have documented continue to represent a crime against humanity and the crime of repression and crackdown continues to be a current practice. Thank you.

I thank you. So, dear colleagues, this brings us to the end of the interactive dialogue. I thank the members of the Fake Fighting Mission for their participation and presentations. We'll have a one-minute break to reset up the podium for the next interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the Russian Federation. Okay, dear colleagues, we will now begin the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the Russian Federation. It is my pleasure to welcome the mandate holder, Mrs. Mariana Katsarova. The list of speakers will be closed in 15 minutes, and I'll give the floor to Mrs. Katsarova to present the report. Madam, please, you have the floor.

Mr. Vice President, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is my honor to present to the Human Rights Council my latest report on the human rights situation in the Russian Federation. Over the past year, we have seen an alarming trajectory: widening discrimination, the consolidation of authoritarian rule, and intensifying repression with prosecutions under the rubric of national security legislation, a central instrument of coercive rule in Russia. The authorities are deliberately using the law, the judiciary, and law enforcement institutions as a political weapon to suppress civil and political rights and freedoms. This strategy is implemented, pursued and sustained by coercion, detention and torture, and it is carried out on a scale that is both widespread and systematic. The report I present today looks at the core instruments used to restrict fundamental rights, freedom of expression, freedom of association, the right to peaceful assembly and to participate in public affairs, In practice, these tools are used to crush civic space, silence the media, dismantle the legal profession, eliminate political opposition, suppress culture, erase historical memory, distort historical truth, and stifle the diversity of voices and identities across Russian society. Such targeting is not incidental. It is coordinated and central to state policy and used to manufacture what I refer to as internal and external enemies of the motherland, against whom they justify repression at home and aggression abroad. This strategy deepens discrimination, normalizes violence, and emboldens impunity. To those ends, Mr. Vice President and Excellencies, During this year, 2025, Russian authorities have sharpened the laws on so-called foreign agents and undesirable organizations, targeting human rights defenders, civil society, and independent media. These laws are not just restrictive regulations; they are systematic tools of political repression, unique in the ways they combine heavy administrative burdens, criminal penalties, social stigma, financial strangulation, and isolation. Today, 1,040 individuals and organizations are labeled as foreign agents. Once so designated, organizations and individuals are banned from providing education, stripped of income, blocked from media, fined heavily, and even held liable for activities abroad. Noncompliance leads to liquidation or prison. For example, the systematic dismantling of the Nobel Peace Prize-affiliated memorial network In 2025, Memorial's website was blocked through Russia's central censorship body, Roskomnadzor, while one of its leading defenders, Sergei Davidis, was charged in absentia with justifying terrorism. In 2025, Russia uses this framework against groups engaging with the United Nations, exploiting the foreign agent label as grounds to prevent or cancel their ECOSOC accreditation, effectively excluding independent Russian voices from the United Nations deliberations. Thus, Mr. Vice President, By mid-2025, 46 new organizations had been designated and banned as undesirable, bringing the total to 245. Human rights groups, educational initiatives, independent reporters, all silenced, including the Indigenous Fund Batani, targeted in reprisal for engaging with UN mechanisms. Association with these groups is itself criminalized. Grigory Malkunyan, co-chair of the election monitor Golos, received five years in prison. At least 12 others remain imprisoned on the same charges. Let me emphasize, Excellencies and distinguished delegates, that the Russian Federation is now the third largest jailer of journalists in the world, with 50 media professionals currently behind bars, including 29 Ukrainians. In the past year alone, 89 criminal cases have been opened, some resulting in heavy sentences of up to 12 years, including in absentia trials against journalists and media workers in exile. And yet, Mr. Vice President, and all of us gathered here today, it is essential for us to recognize that human rights defenders, civil society, and independent media refuse to be silenced. Inside Russia, they continue to function under the constant threat, closely cooperating with colleagues in exile. But sustaining this work is harder than ever. Survival and sustained resistance to repression now depend on comprehensive and committed support from member states, including funding and flexible assistance to exiled organizations and their family members, while also ensuring protection from refoulement, with torture and arbitrary detention awaiting those sent back. Laws targeting the so-called fake news and discrediting the army. Charges adopted hastily in March 22 became and remain primary tools to crush anti-war dissent. By 25, while prosecution slowed, it is not a sign of easing, but the fear and self-censorship taking deeper and deeper root, along with an equal and steady increase in laws that weaponize and strive to legitimize charges counterterrorism and extremism. The most common charges to which I now draw your attention include calling for terrorist activity or justifying terrorism. These prosecutions rarely assess any real public danger. Instead, courts focus on the political message ascribed to the accused. In April 25, former deputy Alexei Gorinov's additional three-year sentence for so-called justifying terrorism was upheld on appeal, coming into force on top of the seven years he was already serving for fake news about the army, simply for condemning the killing of Ukrainian children. The crackdown has also suffocated culture and literature. In July 25, well-known and respected novelist Boris Akunin was sentenced in absentia to 14 years in prison on charges of justifying terrorism. facilitating terrorist activity and violating foreign agent laws. His real crime was dissenting against the war and supporting Ukraine. The books of the only living Nobel Prize laureate for literature who writes in Russian language, Svetlana Alexievich, are banned from Russian school curricula, and she is branded enemy of Russia, Russian culture, and a Russophobe. Both writers are with us here today in this room. Mr. Vice President, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, and honored guests gathered here today, extremism-related charges are being systematically applied against the late Alexei Navalny's organizations. Supporters are even accused of using extremist symbols associated with Mr. Navalny's name and photos. At least 13 individuals remain imprisoned, including journalist Olga Komleva, who was sentenced in 25 to 12 years imprisonment for alleged involvement with Navalny's campaign offices and for fake news about the Russian army. The crackdown has even reached lawyers themselves. Three of Navalny's legal defenders were sentenced in January. In Kaliningrad, lawyer Maria Bonsler was detained on spurious charges, denied counsel of her choice, and forced into sham process for defending clients accused on politically motivated grounds. Additionally, the abuse of extremism laws now targets minorities, with a rise in the number of prosecutions against LGBT individuals and those running LGBT-friendly spaces. In 25 coordinated raids hit publishing houses accused of distributing LGBT literature, with staff prosecuted for extremist activities. This expansion of repression extends online. New laws mandate restrictions on access to extremist materials listed in the Ministry of Justice's federal list of extremist materials by monitoring and prosecuting simple online searches and criminalizing the use of VPNs to circumvent blocks. Mr. Vice President, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, it cannot be emphasized enough that torture remains systematic and widespread, with 258 cases documented alone in 24/25, including the use of punitive psychiatry as a political tool. Journalist Maria Ponomarenko was sentenced to one additional year and 10 months in prison in order to undergo compulsory psychiatric treatment upon release. to punish her for maintaining an anti-war stance even in prison. Particularly shocking is the role of doctors and medical personnel in the heinous and gruesome torture of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian detainees, which I have personally documented firsthand from a number of victims and witnesses. Ukrainian victims' testimonies expose not only extreme overcrowding and starvation, but use of electric shocks, rape, and sexualized violence and killings in detention. By May 25, at least 206 Ukrainian prisoners of war had died in Russian captivity, their bodies showing signs of torture, such as the body of 27-year-old Ukrainian investigative journalist and human rights defender, Victoria Roshina, who was killed in Russian detention. In public testimony before the military court in Rostov-on-Don, civilian detainee Natalia Vlasova, described being subjected to electric shocks and gang-raped repeatedly by 15 armed men, followed by the use of a metal file to file her teeth down. The court failed to investigate the torture and sentenced her to 18 years and two months imprisonment under Russian terrorism-related charges. What emerges with stunning clarity, Mr. Vice President, Excellencies, is that justice and accountability inside Russia are virtually unattainable. Since my last report, the authorities have taken steps to withdraw from the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture, shielding perpetrators of such heinous crimes. Efforts directed at accountability must therefore mobilize international frameworks, including the exercise universal jurisdiction to prosecute perpetrators of torture and other crimes. I deeply regret the Russian Federation's continued non-recognition of this mandate and urge immediate steps to rescind repressive laws and politically motivated prosecutions, release all those arbitrarily detained, and ensure accountability for torture and other human rights violations. Because the victims of such deserve nothing less. I am confident that we can all help to see justice being done. Mr. Vice President, Excellencies, I look forward to our interactive discussion and to your questions. Thank you all for your attention.

Thank you. Thank you, Madam. Now, in accordance with our practice, we will begin by giving the floor to the delegation of the country concerned. And as I can see, and I was told, that the delegation of the Russian Federation is not present in the room. So from that, we will move to the open, the interactive dialogue with the interested delegations to ask their questions and make comments on the report. I remind you that the speaking time is one minute and 30 seconds. We'll start with a video message from Iceland. Her Excellency Torgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir, the Foreign Minister of Iceland, to speak on behalf of a group of countries.

Mr. President, the Nordic-Baltic states thank the Special Rapporteur and strongly support the continuation of the mandate. We are gravely concerned by the worsening human rights situation in the Russian Federation and the further expansive use of repressive tools. Fundamental freedoms are being dismantled, with human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists, and others facing intimidation, harassment, and persecution. The growing repression of persons due to their sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics is also very concerning. We condemn in the strongest terms Russia's relentless attacks against Ukraine, deliberately terrorizing the Ukrainian people. Massive air strikes and the targeting of civilian infrastructure, including energy systems, constitutes grave violations of international law. We strongly condemn the forcible transfer of tens of thousands of Ukrainian children by Russia. They must be immediately returned. Reports of widespread executions, torture, and ill treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war are disturbing. We call on the Russian Federation to cease its war of aggression against Ukraine, to end its repression, and to uphold its international human rights obligations. I thank you.

Now I invite the representative of the European Union.

Mr. Vice President, the EU thanks the Special Rapporteur for her report. The EU is concerned about the findings that torture is used as a state-sanctioned tool for repression. We call on Russia to abolish its repressive legislation, to ensure a safe and enabling online and offline environment, and to comply with their human rights obligations. Russia must ensure safeguards against arbitrary detention and forced disappearance, torture, and other ill treatment and sexual and gender-based violence. We reiterate our strong call for the immediate and unconditional release of all those arbitrarily detained, including political prisoners, human rights defenders, lawyers, and journalists. The EU calls on Russia to end its political misuse of the judiciary and law enforcement. The EU expresses its deep concern about the closed civic space, including the continuing systematic crackdown on civil society and citizens with dissenting voices in Russia. Russia must ensure accountability for all human rights violations and end discrimination on all grounds. We call on Russia to cooperate fully with the UN. The EU calls on Russia to immediately stop its illegal war of aggression against Ukraine and all violations of international humanitarian and human rights law on Ukrainian territory, including the temporarily occupied regions of Ukraine. Madam Special Rapporteur, what further avenues do you see for ensuring accountability for torture in detention? Thank you.

Thank you, Ambassador. Now I invite Montenegro.

Mr. Vice President, we remain deeply concerned by the worsening human rights situation in the Russian Federation, where the authorities are entrenching repression to silence dissent and extinguish civic space. This state policy harms society, fuels aggression abroad, and embeds impunity. Madam Special Rapporteur, as you have underlined, the Russian authorities have dismantled institutional independence, subordinating the judiciary, legislature, and law enforcement to political control and converting them into instruments of repression and war.

An overly.

Broad legislation is systematically instrumentalized to impose censorship, prosecute critics, and expand the abusive foreign agents and undesirable persons regimes. Civil society, journalists, human rights defenders, opposition leaders and activists are portrayed as enemies of the state and criminalized. They face harassment, torture and lengthy prison sentences while civic space is systematically shattered. This campaign has also normalized identity-based discrimination and violence targeting women, ethnic and national minorities, LGBT persons and other vulnerable groups. We recall that the Russian Federation remain bound by its international obligations, including the full implementation of European Court of Human Rights rulings. We urge the authorities to cooperate fully without selectivity with the UN human rights mechanisms and to end reprisal against those who engage with them. We reiterate our call on Russia to immediately cease its illegal war of aggression against Ukraine and all violations of international humanitarian and human rights law arising from it.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ambassador. Um, the, I have to announce that the list of speaker is now closed. Now I invite Czechia.

Mr. Vice President, uh, the Czech Republic aligns itself with the EU statement. Uh, we thank Madam Special Rapporteur for her report and strongly support her work and extension of her mandate.

Russia's unprovoked aggression against Ukraine continues to bring immense suffering and systematic violations of human rights.

We call for the immediate release of all unlawfully detained Ukrainian civilians and safe return of Ukrainian children deported to Russia. At home, Russia has dismantled civil society organizations through labeling them as foreign agents, extremists, or undesirable. NGOs are liquidated, media silenced, and human rights defenders prosecuted. Peaceful critics of the war face intimidation and prison sentences. We remain alarmed by the severe persecution of journalists. 12 years prison sentence for Olga Komleva illustrates the high risk faced by those reporting the truth.

Such practices violate principles of freedom of expression and freedom of the media. Meanwhile, minorities, especially LGBTIQ+ persons, face growing discrimination and hostility.

We call on Russia to uphold its international obligations.

Release all unjustly imprisoned, and respect the fundamental rights of every individual. Madam Special Rapporteur, what should be done to secure the remaining safe space in Russia? Thank you.

Thank you, Ambassador. Netherlands, please.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. The Kingdom of the Netherlands aligns itself with the EU statement and thanks the Special Rapporteur for her extensive and valuable work resulting in this third report to the Council. Last year's report described a widespread state-sponsored system of grave human rights violations by the Russian authorities. The new report shows that the situation has not only persisted but further deteriorated, marked by a seismic decline. This seismic decline reflects a deliberate strategy by the Russian authorities to eradicate dissent and purposefully dismantle what remains of civic space in the country. This includes the further instrumentalization of the legislative system and the legal system to criminalize and suppress dissenting voices. We, therefore, urge Russia to cease dismantling the independence of the judiciary and to end its use as a tool for repression. We furthermore call on Russia to immediately and unconditionally release all those arbitrarily detained and to end the criminalization, prosecution, imprisonment, ill-treatment, and torture of dissenting voices. Madam Special Rapporteur, how can the international community most effectively contribute to protecting dissenting voices targeted by the Russian authorities while ensuring accountability for ongoing violations? Thank you.

Thank you, Ambassador. Ukraine, please.

Thank you, Mr. President. Ukraine thanks the Special Rapporteur for her report. The findings are a stark reminder of Russia's trajectory, relentless repression at home that mirrors the brutality of its external aggression. The Kremlin's suffocation of freedoms goes hand in hand with its criminal war of aggression against Ukraine. Over the past years, Russian authorities have pursued a deliberate strategy to crack down the dissent. Through censorship, politically motivated prosecutions, and repressive laws on foreign agents and undesirables, civic space has been destroyed. Journalists, human rights defenders, opposition figures, and activists have been imprisoned, tortured, silenced, making Russia one of the largest jailers of media professionals. Thousands of Ukrainian civilians remain forcibly disappeared in Russian detention, subjected to torture, incommunicado confinement, and denial of medical care.

At least 206 Ukrainian prisoners of war have died in captivity from torture and neglect.

ICRC has been denied access to unlawfully detained Ukrainian civilians, including journalists. The murder of journalist Victoria Roschina illustrates the regime's brutality. At the same time, tens of thousands of Ukrainian children have been unlawfully deported to Russia, and their fate remains unknown. Domestic repressions in Russia fuels its aggression beyond its borders. Russia must face international justice.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ambassador. Poland, please.

Mr. Vice President, Madam Special Rapporteur, Poland aligns itself with the statement of the European Union. We thank the Special Rapporteur for her report. We are deeply alarmed by the steady decline in Russia's already dire human rights record. The Russian authorities continue to strengthen their oppressive grip over the society by fostering pervasive climate of fear and weaponizing law to silence dissent. Torture and ill-treatment remain widespread and systematic in detention facilities. Quite shockingly, your report highlights involvement of health professionals in condoning and participating in acts of torture, especially against Ukrainian detainees. Indeed, there is a link between repression at home and aggression abroad. Russian leadership exploits the full-scale invasion of Ukraine as a mobilizing force to justify repression and concentration of power. This is one of the reasons why the Russian Federation keeps sabotaging efforts towards peace. Just two weeks ago, in a clear sign of escalation, Russia has deliberately violated Polish airspace with the incursion of 19 military drones. Madam Special Rapporteur, evidencing human rights violation is key to ensuring accountability. Let me thank for your important work and express our full support for your mandate. I thank you.

I thank you, Ambassador. Malta, please.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. Malta aligns itself with the EU statement and thanks the Special Rapporteur for her important report. We remain deeply concerned on the human rights situation in the Russian Federation. As the report highlights, civic space continues to be restricted and human rights defenders and organizations continue to face significant challenges, including legislative measures such as designations as foreign agent or undesirable, as well as threats of harassment and physical harm. Sexual and gender-based violence continues to pervade all aspects of personal, civil, and professional life. The report also documents the widespread use of torture and ill-treatment of persons in detention, particularly those held arbitrarily. Malta reminds the Russian Federation of its obligations under international human rights law and humanitarian law, which continue to apply fully, including with respect to Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians in detention. Malta urges the Russian Federation to grant the Special Rapporteur immediate, full and unrestricted access to its territory so that the important mandate of this office can be carried out effectively.

I thank you.

I thank you, Ambassador. Romania.

Vice President, Romania aligns with the statement and welcomes the Madam Special Rapporteur's presentation and report. The human rights and fundamental freedoms crisis in Russia is deepening. Authorities continue to suppress civil society and political opposition with relentless determination. This is accompanied by a pervasive climate of impunity and a severe lack of accountability for violations and repression of dissent. The authorities continue to expand the legal tools used to silence dissent, branding opposition voices as undesirable foreign agents or prosecuting them under broad extremism or terrorism laws, with politically motivated cases constantly increasing. Detention conditions are worsening, including deteriorating prison oversight and complicity of medical personnel in acts of torture, with denial of medical care and torture as most frequent causes of death in custody, as your report highlights. We call on Russia to re-engage constructively with the international human rights system, to cooperate with your mandate, and to take concrete steps to fulfill its international human rights obligations. We are concerned by Russia's plan to withdraw from the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture, and we recall that the prohibition of torture is a peremptory norm of international law, binding on all states at all times, regardless of whether they are parties to a specific international instrument or not. Madame Special Rapporteur, How do you assess the potential for future engagement with independent voices inside Russia when the attacks on civil society are constantly increasing? I thank you.

Thank you. Slovakia, please.

Thank you, High President. Slovakia aligns itself with the EU statement. Madam Special Rapporteur, Slovakia highly values your work and thanks for presenting your report. We are concerned about the ongoing human rights violations in the Russian Federation, such as the restrictive legislation against political opponents, reprisal against freedom of association or peaceful assembly, or in the targeting of anti-war criticism in Russia. Instead of establishing a dialogue with representatives of various structures of the society and implementing the recommendations of the UN special procedures, Russia continues to impose restrictions, digital surveillance, limitations on access to information, internet shutdowns, censorship, spread of propaganda, and attacks on opinion leaders in order to legitimize its aggression against Ukraine. Organizations or individuals who call for an end to the war against Ukraine or advocate a different view on so-called sensitive issues in Russia face penalties, torture, and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment. Madam Special Rapporteur, we believe that your mandate must serve as an independent voice of the international community to return Russia back to the path of respecting human rights. We call on the Human Federation to grant the Special Rapporteur unfettered access to its territory and to enable genuine dialogue and cooperation to further respect, protect and fulfill human rights in the Russian Federation. Thank you.

Thank you. South Sudan. Thank you, Ambassador. Sorry.

As President, South Sudan takes note of the report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Russia, in the Russian Federation. Having well acquainted ourselves with the contents and the status of the report.

We're of the view that to come up with credible and authoritative account of conditions inside a given state requires practical visits supported by the country concerned to provide the balance necessary for sound and practical recommendations. Mr. Vice President, this Council is the beacon for promotion and protection of human rights through genuine dialogue and cooperation. To always achieve that, we urge it to continue to play the positive role.

Of full compliance with the purposes and the principles of the United Nations Charter, devoid of any negative influences. To conclude, South Sudan commends Russia for the noble progress it has made in promoting human rights particularly in areas of social welfare and access to education, among others.

Thank you, Vice President. I thank you. Germany, please.

And Germany also lands itself with the statement by the European Union. Madam Special Rapporteur, Germany supports your mandate. We support your personal work, and thank you for the report. And again, you present us with grueling details of a dire human rights situation that has only deteriorated since your last update. The systematic crackdown on members of Russian civil society inside and outside of Russia continues unabated. judicial system is being distorted and law enforcement misused to persecute so-called terrorists and terrorist organizations, a term arbitrarily used by the Russian government to denigrate independent media, national minorities, indigenous peoples and their organizations, cultural and religious figures, human rights defenders, Nobel Peace Prize winners, and all the others who do not agree with government propaganda or who oppose its war of aggression against Ukraine. We are also deeply concerned about the threats lawyers face, they risk their lives for dutifully doing their job, defending those arbitrarily arrested and detained on fabricated accusations, be they Russians, Ukrainians, for example, prisoners of war, as you just explained, or other foreigners. Madam Special Rapporteur, you have proven to be an important lifeline for Russian civil society. How do we get Russia to cooperate with your mandate? Thank you very much.

Thank you. Italy, please.

Mr. Vice President, the Italian line itself with you statement and thanks to the special rapporteur for her report. We remain gravely concerned by the systematic dismantling of civic space in Russia and its negative trend. Dissent is being erased through censorship, politically motivated prosecution, and the misuse of legislation about so-called foreign agent and undesirable. Public institution have been turned into tools of repression and war. Italy strongly condemns the widespread use of torture and ill treatment, including against Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian detainees, and is deeply troubled by reports of medical personnel participating in such practices. We also note with alarm the targeting of vulnerable groups who face aggravated discrimination. We call on Russia to end repression and release all those arbitrarily detained, repeal repressive legislation, ensure accountability for perpetrators of torture, and grant independent monitor success to all place of detention. Italy retains its full support for the mandate of the Special Rapporteur. Accountability, justice, and the unconditional release of Ukrainian civilian detainees, prisoners of war, deported children, and Russian political prisoners must remain central to any peace effort. Madam Special Rapporteur, in light of the pervasive use of torture and repression, what avenue do you consider most effective to strengthen accountability and support victims? I thank you.

Thank you, Ambassador. Georgia, please.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. We thank the Special Rapporteur for the report, which once again sheds light on the human rights situation in the Russian Federation. And let me stress that the same pattern of Russia's legal actions are applied in the occupied Abkhazia and regions of Georgia, which as attested by the decisions of the ECHR and ICC, are occupied by and are under the effective control of the Russian Federation. The list of violations in both regions remains long and alarming. The population is subjected to ethnic discrimination and gross human rights abuses, including violations of the right to life, health and property, torture and ill-treatment, arbitrary detentions and kidnappings, as well as severe restrictions of freedom of movement and the right to receive education in the native Georgian language. These grave violations are not isolated incidents, but rather form part of Russia's deliberate strategy aimed at forcing Georgians out of the occupied regions. This amounts to a continued policy of ethnic cleansing. Full responsibility for all these violations rests with the Russian Federation, the power exercising effective control on the ground. Thank you.

Thank you, Ambassador. Belarus.

Thank you, President. The promotion by the Special Rapporteur and the countries that support her solely of theses aimed at discrediting the Russian authorities brings no constructive messages and confirms for us once again the bias of the mandate holder and the politically motivated nature of this human rights mechanism as a whole. It is as though the Special Mandate Holder, in step with the expectations of her sponsors, is practising her skills at vilifying the Russian authorities. According to the principle, the worse, the better, deliberately distorting the situation and ignoring the substantive progress made by Russia in the field of social, economic and social and cultural rights, as demonstrated by Russia's recent successful review before the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Based on the work of the Special Rapporteur and of most country mandates, which do not have the support of the country concerned, we are once again compelled to draw attention to the problem of the strong bias, politicisation and selectivity in these processes. Thank you.

Thank you. Luxembourg, please.

Vice-President, Luxembourg aligns itself with the statement by the European Union. Madam Special Rapporteur, you note in your report that the human rights situation in Russia has further deteriorated. We regret that the Russian authorities are pursuing a deliberate strategy of muffling all those who contest the Russian government's line. Lawyers, journalists, human rights defenders continue to be targeted and are arbitrarily detained. Today, even selling a book has become a crime in Russia. Russian society is living under widespread censorship, and there is no longer any recourse to an independent judiciary. The situation is all the more critical for women and LGBTIQI+ persons, minorities, indigenous peoples, as well as religious groups and migrants. While their voices are being stifled in Russia, it is this Council's responsibility to ensure that we continue to hear those voices. Special Rapporteur, we would like to thank you for continuing to be the voice of victims of serious human rights violations in Russia. The number and the gravity of these violations continues to rise, and so your mandate is all the more relevant. Madame Katsarova, how can we help you in the execution of your mandate and in documenting all these serious human rights violations? Thank you.

Thank you, Ambassador. I now call on Bulgaria.

Mr. Vice President, Bulgaria aligns with the EU statement. We welcome the report of the Special Rapporteur, reflecting the widespread and grave human rights violations and abuses committed by the Russian Federation. We also thank Ms. Katsarova for her in-depth research and dedicated work and strongly support the extension of her mandate. We are deeply concerned that the Russian that Russia's illegal, unjustified, and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine entails escalating and systemic deterioration of the human rights situation in the country, especially for media workers, journalists, human rights defenders, and persons in vulnerable situations related to their identity, in particular Ukrainian civilians. We are deeply worried about the misuse of national security legislation to impose restrictions on and suppress the freedom of opinion and expression, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly and association. Bulgaria adds her voice to those condemning the widespread use of criminal prosecution, arbitrary arrests, long-term detentions, torture and ill-treatment in places of detention, and all forms of inhuman or degrading treatment of political opponents and representatives of the civil society opposing the war. We call on the Russian authorities to fully cooperate with the respective UN bodies and human rights mechanisms. Bulgaria joins others in calling for the immediate and unconditional return of all Ukrainian civilians unlawfully held in detention in the Russian Federation, in particular, illegally deported and forcibly displaced Ukrainian children, regardless of the status or outcome of any peace talks. I thank you.

I thank you, Ambassador. Croatia, please.

Mr. President, Croatia aligns itself with the EU statement. We thank the Special Rapporteur for her comprehensive report, which details the strategy of Russian authorities to wipe out any dissent through political targeting of journalists, human rights defenders, lawyers, opposition figures, and anti-war activists. It is clear that the authorities have dismantled institutional independence, bringing the judiciary, legislator, and law enforcement under direct political control. Using the education system for ideological indoctrination of children and students with mandatory patriotic and pro-war content is truly concerning. We are appalled by the reports of widespread torture and ill-treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war, who are exposed to starvation, beatings, near drownings, electrical shocks, forced nudity, sexual humiliation, and rape. Equally alarming are the findings of torture and ill-treatment used to enforce discipline on Russian deserters refusing to participate in the war of aggression against Ukraine. Moreover, we sincerely regret the absence of domestic violence legislation, which leaves women and girls without any legal protection, with the number of reported incidents nearly doubled since the beginning of the war. Madam Special Rapporteur. In your recommendations to international community, you call for creation of an international mechanism for the return of all deported Ukrainian civilians, including children. Could you please elaborate on this? I thank you.

Thank you. Kyrgyzstan.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Kyrgyzstan deeply regrets the incident. where the citizens of Kyrgyzstan were beaten and humiliated at the best house during the mass raid, as documented in the Special Rapporteur's report. The disproportionate use of force against Kyrgyz citizens is unacceptable. Kyrgyzstan has conveyed official communications to the Russian authorities and engaged in dialogue at various levels with respect to the matter under consideration. We remain committed to strengthening cooperation on the orderly regulation and legalization of migration processes in full accordance with the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union. Our priority is clear, to prevent recurrence of such incidents, to ensure humane and lawful treatment of our workers, and to safeguard the dignity, rights, and legitimate interests of Kyrgyz citizens in Russia. Thank you.

Thank you, Ambassador. Republic of Moldova.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. We thank the Special Rapporteur for the presentation of the report, which concluded that the situation has steadily deteriorated. As indicated in the report, the freedom of expression, assembly, and association continues to be repressed, a finding echoed also by the European Court of Human Rights. Repression against journalists, as shown in the report of the Reporters Without Borders, is also seriously worrying. The number of individuals and organizations designated as foreign agents and undesirable is deeply troubling. The crackdown on dissent and criminalization of pro-Ukraine support by using extremist and terrorist charges remain of concern. Prosecution on politically motivated grounds continue targeting human rights defenders and civic activists. We are appalled by the documented cases of torture and ill treatment in the Russian Federation, also of the Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian detainees, including by medical personnel. All those responsible must be held to account. Once again, we call on the Russian Federation to engage fully and meaningfully with the international human rights mechanism, including in the mandate of the Special Rapporteur, and fully execute the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights. We also support the prolongation of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur. Mr. Vice President, taking this opportunity, I would like to reiterate Moldova's condemnation of brutal war of aggression against Ukraine and call on Russian authorities immediately and unconditionally release all Ukrainian civilian detainees and unlawfully transferred children.

Thank you. Thank you, Ambassador. New Zealand, please.

Mr. Vice President, New Zealand welcomes the report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Russian Federation. New Zealand is deeply concerned about the serious and deteriorating human rights situation in Russia. The Russian authorities exercise state power in arbitrary and increasingly harsh ways to curtail civil and political liberties. particularly freedom of speech and the right to peaceful protest. The extensive control that the Russian authorities have extended over the internet is also troubling. This includes internet shutdowns and the introduction of penalties for people intentionally searching for online material deemed extremist by the state. Migrants too are subject to draconian surveillance measures, such as mandatory geolocation tracking, which are being extended to foreigners in general from September next year. New Zealand is deeply concerned about the widespread use of torture, particularly within the prison system. State-sanctioned violence against Ukrainian prisoners of war is also pervasive and a clear violation of international law. New Zealand is also concerned at the continued persecution and use of violence against the Russian LGBTQI+ community, particularly by the local authorities in Chechnya. Finally, New Zealand would welcome the Special Rapporteur's advice on how the international community can provide meaningful support to civil society and human rights defenders within the Russian Federation, who are increasingly isolated from the outside world. Thank you, Mr. Vice-President.

Thank you, Ambassador. Slovenia.

Mr. Vice-President, Slovenia aligns itself with the EU statement. We thank Madame Special Rapporteur for her report, which documents how state-sponsored nationalist ideology in the Russian Federation has normalized identity-based discrimination and violence, and how it encourages the systematic violation of human rights. We commend her for dedicated work and express our full support for her mandate. We are particularly concerned that women and girls, LGBTI persons, indigenous peoples, ethnic minorities, migrants and asylum seekers are increasingly stigmatized, marginalized and exposed to harassment and violence without access to effective remedies. Furthermore, the systematic, arbitrary detention and ill-treatment of political prisoners is a matter of deep concern, and it constitutes a clear violation of international human rights law. The institutionalized discrimination undermines equality, erodes social cohesion, and deepens vulnerabilities of the most marginalized groups in civil society. Madam Special Rapporteur, in the light of the systematic nature of this ideology, what avenues remain open for the international community to counter such normalization of exclusion and to support those most at risk? I thank you.

Thank you. Portugal, please.

Portugal thanks the Special Rapporteur for her report, whose findings are very concerning. Civil society space is shrinking at an alarming rate, with legislation on so-called foreign agents and undesirable organizations being deliberately used to silence independent voices, restrict media freedom, and criminalize peaceful dissent. Reports of arbitrary detention, torture and ill-treatment are extremely serious, and the absence of effective investigations and accountability remain troubling. We are alarmed by the discrimination and repression against vulnerable groups, including national and ethnic minorities, LGBTI persons and human rights defenders. The findings on the North Caucasus further highlight the urgent need for action. Portugal urges Russia to end persecution of civil society, bring its laws and practices into full compliance with international human rights obligations, and ensure accountability. We strongly support the renewal of this mandate and call on Russia to cooperate fully with the Special Rapporteur and other international mechanisms. Madam Special Rapporteur, how can the international community best support efforts to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence in the Russian Federation? I thank you.

Thank you. Austria, please.

Vice-President, Austria aligns with the EU statement and welcomes the report by the Special Rapporteur. Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, Russian authorities have intensified the use of criminal prosecution, long-term imprisonment, intimidation, torture, and ill-treatment to silence opposition to the war against Ukraine and have further escalated repression within the Russian Federation itself. These measures have had a particularly severe impact on vulnerable groups, especially women, LGBT persons, national and ethnic minorities, indigenous peoples, religious groups and migrants. Austria is deeply concerned that the past year was marked by further consolidation and expansion of repressive tools, in particular the use of national security legislation to silence dissent and restrict civic space. We urge the Russian Federation to repeal restrictive legislation on foreign agents and undesirable organizations and to stop using the court system for political purposes to silence civil society and persecute persons expressing dissenting opinions. Austria reiterates its call on the Russian Federation to respect, protect and fulfil human rights in compliance with its obligations under international human rights law, and to cooperate with special procedures and other international human rights mechanisms. Madame Special Rapporteur, in closing, let me assure you of our continued support And we call on all Council members to support the resolution extending your mandate. Thank you.

Thank you, Ambassador. Ireland.

Ireland aligns with the statement of the EU. As Russia continues its illegal and unjustified full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the already grave human rights situation within the Russian Federation continues to deteriorate. Ireland shares the concerns of the Special Rapporteur regarding the widespread and systematic violations of human rights and oppressive restrictions on civil society. Ireland opposes the Russian Government's restrictions on civil and political rights and its suppression of independent voices, including through the use of arbitrary detention. Further, Ireland is concerned at the Russian Government's increasing control of internet infrastructure and its application technologies, as well as legislation intended to suppress dissenting views. Ireland condemns the widespread use of torture, enforced disappearances and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment and punishment as tools for systematic oppression within the Russian Federation and territories of Ukraine temporarily occupied by Russia. Ireland rejects the Russian authorities' designation of civil society organisations, journalists, LGBTIQ+ persons and persons in vulnerable situations as extremists. These actions are intended to instill fear and tighten the government's control. We further deplore the use of violence and threats against human rights defenders and anti-war advocates as a means to stifle criticism of the government and its policies. Special Rapporteur, what steps can the international community take to support civil society in the Russian Federation? Thank you.

Thank you, Ambassador. Japan.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. Madam Special Rapporteur, we express our appreciation to you for today's briefing.

We remain concerned about the deteriorating human rights situation in the Russian Federation.

We also again express our concern that the civic space continues to shrink in the Russian Federation.

We reiterate our previous call.

On the Russian authorities to comply with all of Russia's obligations under international human rights law, including the International.

Convention on Civic and Political Rights and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

And to respect these rights, including the rights to freedom of expression and the rights of peaceful assembly. We believe that universal values such as.

Human rights, freedom, democracy, and the rule of law should be respected in every country, regardless of culture, tradition.

Or political or economic systems.

In that, the promotion and protection of human rights is a basic responsibility of all countries.

I thank you. Thank you. Liechtenstein.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. We thank the Special Rapporteur for the presentation of her report on the human rights situation in the Russian Federation and support the continuation of her valuable work. In Russia, dissent continues to be crushed with an iron fist. Its stranglehold on society has become even tighter as censorship and politically motivated prosecutions expand. Under the guise of national security, journalists and opposition figures are being imprisoned and framed as so-called foreign agents and undesirables. To asphyxiate what remains of a free media landscape, even the use of VPNs has recently been made an aggravating circumstance in criminal proceedings. With that, utilizing one of the last remaining ways to access free information could lead to harsh prison sentences. We urge the Russian Federation to repeal all legislation that stifles freedom of expression and assembly and to restore digital freedoms and the right to privacy. We renew our call to the authorities to cooperate with the Special Rapporteur and all relevant UN bodies to protect and strengthen the human rights situation in Russia. Finally, Mr. President, we condemn Russia's airspace violations against Estonia and Poland as clear breaches of sovereignty and international law, particularly the UN Charter, threatening regional stability and security, as well as the enjoyment of human rights. I thank you.

I thank you, Ambassador. Eritrea.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. At the outset, Eritrea reiterates its longstanding and principled position on country-specific mandates. In the specific case of the Russian Federation, this exercise characterizes the weaponization of human rights for geopolitical purposes. It is not a genuine concern for human dignity that animates this mandate, but rather the pursuit of narrow political agendas aimed at undermining a sovereign state and constraining its independent policy choices. Eritrea reaffirms its solidarity with the Russian Federation in rejecting this unwarranted and politicized scrutiny. Russia, as a sovereign nation with legitimate security concerns and a founding member of the United Nations, merits respect and engagement, not stigmatization. The Council should never be transformed into a tribunal of power politics, nor into a platform for selective condemnation of states that refuse to yield to external dictates. Eritrea therefore reiterates its call for the discontinuation of this mandate and urges the Council to redirect its resources toward addressing this matter in a balanced, constructive, and depoliticized manner. I thank you.

Thank you. Iran, please. Microphone.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President and Madam Special Rapporteur. The Islamic Republic of Iran emphasizes the importance of respecting of the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of all states, including the Russian Federation. We believe that the promotion and protection of human rights should be carried out in a manner consistent with international law, and that constructive dialogue and cooperation are essential in addressing human rights concerns. We reiterate our principal's position that country-specific mandates are counterproductive, selective and often driven by political consideration. Such mechanism not only undermine the credibility of the Human Rights Council, but also fail to genuinely contribute to the promotion of human rights on the ground. In this regard, Iran stresses that the most effective way forward is through genuine dialogue, capacity building, and cooperation based on mutual respects. Politicization and interference must be avoided if we are to ensure that human rights are advanced in an objective, fair, and sustainable manner. I thank you.

Thank you. Venezuela.

Thank you, Vice-President. Venezuela reiterates its categorical rejection of the imposition of country-specific mandates. Such practices are a clear departure from the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. They serve only to politicise the work of this Council. They represent interference in the domestic affairs of countries and undermine the principles of impartiality, objectivity and non-selectivity. This particular mandate, which does not enjoy the support of the country concerned, does nothing to advance the cause of human rights and is therefore doomed to failure. It will be just one more interventionist mechanism set up for political purposes to harass the Government of Russia and to squander the already scarce resources of the United Nations. Venezuela will continue to advocate for the abandonment of this selective practice which is based on double standards and which seriously undermines the credibility of this Council. Finally, I take this opportunity to congratulate Russia for its institutional progress in the field of human rights and for its permanent and ongoing cooperation in this field. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Spain.

Thank you very much, Vice-President. Spain aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union. We thank the Special Rapporteur for her report, which underscores the increase and consolidated use of repressive tools. She highlights the use of legislative measures to silence dissent and to restrict civic space. Vice-President, we cannot sit idly by and allow it to become a normal process for states simply to walk out of this Human Rights Council when we're discussing matters that are of direct interest to them or directly concern them. It is undermining the role of the Human Rights Council and treating it with contempt when you deny an opportunity for dialogue. In the Russian Federation, we have seen the intensification of its criminal legislation, which have led to an increase in long-term imprisonment and incarceration and a widespread use of intimidatory tactics, including torture and other cruel and inhumane degrading treatment or practice, intended to quash all domestic opposition to the war. And this has served to undermine the human rights in the Russian Federation. We condemn such actions, and we also condemn the the human rights violations being carried out by the Russian Federation, both in its own domestic territory as well as in Ukraine. We call upon the Russian Federation to immediately, without delay, implement the recommendations of the Special Rapporteur. Russia should be held accountable before the international courts for the crimes committed. The aggressor cannot go unpunished. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Ambassador. Canada, please.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. Canada thanks the Special Rapporteur for her report. Canada is alarmed about the significant deterioration of the human rights situation in Russia over the past year. Russia continues to repress its population, including by regularly adding new restrictions on freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, and media freedom. Moreover, the Russian government has found new ways to instil fear through expansion of the foreign agent law, which has become stricter, resulting in increased intimidation and repression against critics of the Kremlin. As well, the prohibition of the so-called international LGBT movement has enabled the government to restrict public expression of LGBTQI+ identities. To further control opposing voices, Russia has carried out abhorrent acts of transnational repression. It has employed legal persecution and digital threats to silence these voices.

This intimidation and violence must end.

Russia's systematic violations of human rights also extend to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, perpetrated against soldiers and civilians. Russia's unlawful deportation of thousands of Ukrainian children continues to be of deep concern. Madame Special Rapporteur, what concrete mechanisms or strategies do you recommend for states to support civil society, protect marginalized groups, and hold Russian authorities accountable within the UN system and beyond? I thank you.

I give the floor to Switzerland.

Thank you, Vice-President. Switzerland also thanks the Special Rapporteur for her update. Over the last year, as you have reported, the human rights situation in Russia has deteriorated yet further. We are now witnessing a structural and systematic violation of human rights intended to crush civil society, as well as dissenting opinions and views and any form of political opposition. Torture is used as a systematic tool of oppression. Switzerland is deeply concerned by the devastating impact of such measures. The impunity which goes hand in hand with such measures is a serious violation of civil rights, including inter alia the right to freedom of expression, freedom of association and freedom of peaceful assembly. as well as the protection of one's physical well-being. We also condemn the continuous and extensive use of lists which designate, on an arbitrary basis that is incompatible with the principle of legality, individuals and organizations as being extremist, undesirable or foreign agents, all of this intended to further crackdown upon civil society. We call upon the Russian Federation to repeal from its legislation any laws that are contrary to its international obligations. We also call upon the Russian Federation to put an end to its incessant attacks on human rights and fundamental freedoms. We support the renewal of the Special Rapporteur's mandate.

Thank you very much.

Thank you. Zimbabwe has the floor.

Mr. Vice President, we once again note that the Special Rapporteur's report is an outcome of a fundamentally flawed process that falls far short on the Council's core principles of cooperation and genuine dialogue aimed at strengthening the capacity of Member States to comply with their human rights obligations. It should be recalled that it is the primary responsibility of the State to promote, protect and safeguard the human rights of its citizens. The selective monitoring of human rights situations through mandates not supported by the country concerned, therefore, ignores the state's role, fails to provide the balance necessary for the formulation of sound and practical recommendations, and brings into question the effectiveness of these costly mandates. We call for genuine dialogue and cooperation with the Russian Federation under a framework that is acceptable to all parties. Zimbabwe further condemns the imposition of unilateral coercive measures on the Russian Federation, whose toll on the ordinary Russians and transboundary impact on other regions of the world has been very devastating. I thank you, Mr. Vice-President.

I thank you. Albania, please.

Thank you, Vice-President. Albania thanks the Special Rapporteur for her comprehensive report on the human rights situation in the Russian Federation. We are concerned by the documented case of torture, ill-treatment and detention of political prisoners. The lack of judicial independence and the criminalization of dissent undermine the rule of law and compromise the protection of human rights. We are deeply concerned by the misuse of the foreign agents and undesirable organization laws, which aim to silence civil society, journalists, lawyers and human rights defenders. The report documents serious human rights violations in the context of the war of aggression against Ukraine, including cases of torture, enforced disappearances, and ill-treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians. These abuses illustrate the link between internal repression and external aggression. We regret the Russian Federation's lack of cooperation with international human rights protection mechanisms. Finally, Albania supports the renewal of Special Rapporteur's mandate, considering it essential to ensure the victims are not silenced and that the international community remains informed about the reality of the human rights situation in Russia. I thank you.

Thank you, Ambassador.

I give the floor to Belgium.

Mr. Vice President, Belgium aligns itself with the EU statement and thanks the special rapporteur for a crucial report, which again exposes the worsening human rights situation. We remain gravely concerned about the relentless crackdown on civil society, human rights defenders, independent media and journalists. The systematic suppression of dissent through foreign agents legislation, the abuse of counterterrorism and extremism laws, and the politicization of judiciary show a state that fears its own citizens and govern. governed through intimidation and terror. The report documents arbitrary detention, torture, and coerced confessions, and growing persecution of lawyers defending political prisoners, minorities, women, human rights defenders, and LGBTIQ+ persons. Independent visits to places of detention have ceased. The withdrawal from the European Convention against Torture would remove the last safeguard and signal the normalization of torture as state policy. Addressing Russia's internal repression is not only a matter of human rights, but also essential for regional and international stability. We urge the authorities to release all political prisoners, repeal repressive legislation, and cooperate fully with independent monitoring mechanisms, including the Special Rapporteur. Madame Katzarova, what further steps can the international community take to protect detainees and support human rights defenders in the face of this deliberate message of impunity? I thank you.

Thank you, Ambassador. Australia.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. We thank the Special Rapporteur for her report. The findings in this report are damning and show the extent of President Putin's continued contempt for human rights within the Russian Federation, including in the context of Russia's illegal and immoral war on Ukraine.

We are.

Appalled by reports of continued widespread and systematic torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading punishment by Russia against Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war.

We call on Russia to comply.

With its obligations under international humanitarian law, including with respect to prisoners of war and forcibly transferred Ukrainian children, and to immediately cease its aggression against Ukraine. Australia is deeply troubled by Russia's ongoing crackdown on civil society, human rights defenders, opposition voices and minority groups, including LGBTQIA+ people. We are concerned by Russia's continued censorship and control of independent voices, including through ongoing intimidation and increasing restriction on internet freedoms. Russia's application of extremism legislation and foreign agent and undesirable organization laws denies Russians their human rights, including rights to freedoms of expression and association. Special Rapporteur, what more can the international community do to support ordinary Russians or independent voices who seek a democratic Russia where human rights are upheld? I thank you.

I thank you. United Kingdom, please.

Thank you, Special Rapporteur. Your report's findings are stark and damning, highlighting a seismic decline in the human rights situation, repression at home, and aggression abroad. The Kremlin claims to be acting for the benefit of the Russian people, but crushes dissent, persecutes minorities, and uses repressive legislation to consolidate a climate of fear, all to serve its own interests. Russia must release all political prisoners, including those who have bravely opposed the invasion of Ukraine. You highlight that in the first half of the year, 20% to 30% of all those in pre-trial detention were political prisoners. civil society activists, human rights defenders, and journalists are serving lengthy prison sentences. Lawyers are also increasingly targeted for simply representing their clients. Your report illustrates how torture is widespread within the judicial system, with at least 258 cases documented in 2024-25. The Russian state's record on gender-based violence remains appalling. A relentless descent into lawlessness has allowed honour killings with impunity in the North Caucasus. Convicts have been released to fight in Ukraine who have committed domestic violence on their return. LGBT+ people remain acutely vulnerable to persecution, particularly, again, in the North Caucasus. Jehovah's Witnesses are imprisoned simply for practicing their faith. Special Rapporteur, how could this Council continue to support your work to hold the Russian authorities accountable for the domestic human rights violations?

Thank you.

Thank you, Ambassador. Mali.

Vice-President, Mali thanks the Special Rapporteur for the presentation of her report on the human rights situation in the Russian Federation. My delegation hails the Russian Federation's ongoing commitment to human rights and congratulates them for the ratification of various different international and regional conventions in the field of human rights, as well as the adoption of various domestic texts in this same field. We would like to express our appreciation for the considerable progress achieved by the Government of the Russian Federation in the field of the promotion and protection of human rights, particularly the strengthening of the rights of Russian citizens with regard to freedom of expression, association, assembly, protest, religious belief, artistic and literary expression, science and academic freedom. My delegation would like to highlight and also to congratulate the Russian Federation, the efforts undertaken by this country in the context of the prevention of and the fight against terrorism and violent extremism and the multiform support that it lends to different states to tackle this scourge, particularly in the Sahel. We would also like to take this opportunity to call for an end to biased double standards approaches supported by certain states and which target certain other states. Such a practice must end.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Sudan, please.

Thank you, Vice-President. We have taken careful note of the content of the report on the human rights situation in Russia, a founding state of the United Nations and a state which is fully alive to the importance of human rights. We would like to encourage the Russian Federation to continue its ongoing efforts to promote and protect human rights. Vice-President, this Council was founded to strengthen dialogue on fundamental rights and freedoms and to encourage best practices in the field of human rights. Sudan has always called for this Human Rights Council to duly factor in the consent of the country concerned before any mandate is created, in order to ensure that such mandates are effective and efficient. the primary responsibility for promoting and protecting human rights is borne by the country concerned, which needs to establish the necessary policies and action plans in the field of human rights to further that cause. It is also important to take into account the willingness of the people of the country concerned. That should be our benchmark, serving their needs whenever seeking to further human rights. With regard to the situation in Ukraine, we would call for diplomacy to be the preferred and prioritised channel in order to stem the flow of blood and to ensure that international standards and needs are upheld. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Now This was the last speaker that we were able to accommodate for this session. And now we shall turn to the list of speakers for national human rights institutions and the non-governmental organizations. First, it will be a video message from a joint statement from the International Bar Association.

The International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute, the Law Society of England and Wales, Lawyers for Lawyers, and Lawyers Without Borders Canada thank the Special Rapporteur for her vital work. We condemn ongoing systematic targeting of lawyers in Russia, including judicial harassment, arbitrary disciplinary actions, disbarment, and criminal charges. Lawyers defending the rule of law are routinely branded as foreign agents simply for performing their legal duties. They are subject to severe pressure, including criminal prosecution and harsh punishment. We deplore the sentencing following an unfair trial of the three lawyers who represented Alexei Navalny, and we urge Russia to release them unconditionally and end any further persecution and prosecution of all lawyers. We remain extremely concerned at the law on advocacy and the legal profession that expands the Ministry of Justice's oversight of the legal profession through the centralised administrative control, including the power to impose disciplinary sanctions. We also join the Special Rapporteur's concern over Russia's plans to end its cooperation with the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture, because limiting external scrutiny of places of detention while targeting those lawyers defending due process for those deprived of their liberty creates the enabling conditions where torture occurs with impunity. It is imperative, therefore, to maintain rigorous monitoring over Russia, and we urge this Council to renew the mandate of the Special Rapporteur. Thank you.

Now we have another video message from International Federation for Human Rights Leagues.

President, distinguished members of the Council, the Memorial Human Rights Defense Center and the International Federation for Human Rights and the World Organization Against Torture would like to thank the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation, Marianna Katsorova, for her detailed report. This is Ms. Katzurva's third report, and year after year we are seeing a steady deterioration in the human rights situation in Russia. The number of political prisoners is growing, and they face torture and inhuman treatment behind bars. Of particular concern is the fate of Ukrainian hostages, both military and civilian, who as well as Russians who protested against the war in Ukraine. In January 2025, a mission of Russian human rights defenders visited Ukraine and gathered evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Russian occupation. We were able to talk to several former prisoners of war, and their accounts of conditions go beyond anything we, as human rights defenders who have been working on torture for many years, had encountered before the full-scale invasion. The people we spoke to were released as a result of an exchange, but there are many who are still in prison and many won't live to see the end of their sentences. Therefore, we urge you not to forget their fate and we are grateful to Marianna Katerova for her unwavering support for our People First initiative. Thank you.

Now I invite the representative of War Resisters International.

Mr. Vice President, Madam Special Rapporteur, WRI, together with its partner, Connection IV, thanks the Special Rapporteur for her report, which reports violation of the rights to freedom of expression, assembly, association, which have been also found by the ECHR. Over 1,000 individuals and organizations have been designated as foreign agents. One of these is our colleague, Artjom Klega, a young lawyer assisting conscientious objectors to military service. As previously reported and also presented last week during WRI's side event, there is a lack of implementation of the constitutional right to conscientious objection to military service. This also affects military personnel, such as conscript soldiers trying to resign, men forcibly mobilized, and reservists. A systematic practice of humiliation and torture in war zones of soldiers attempting to refuse had also been reported. Since August 24, many conscripts are coerced into signing military contracts. There is thus an extremely dangerous risk of deployment or conscript to war, and vulnerable groups are still forcibly recruited for the war. We are greatly concerned by the current case of Danil Mukhametov, a Russian 21-year-old conscientious objector who fled the country by train passing through Lithuania, when he has been victim of public smear campaign, and thus he eventually applied for asylum in Finland, where he is under risk of being returned to Lithuania, then possibly deported to Russia. We strongly reiterate the recommendation of the Special Rapporteur to all member states to uphold the human rights of Russian citizens in need of protection within their jurisdiction by respecting the principle of non-refoulement in regard to all torture survivors, asylum seekers, in particular human rights defenders, anti-war activists, journalists, conscientious objectors to military service, and individuals who have refused forced mobilization to the war of aggression.

Time is up, sorry. Thank you. Now I invite the representative of Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. RFSA expressed concern over the recent escalation of mass repressions against Azerbaijani migrants in Russia, which began after Russian military force shot down an Azerbaijani airline passenger plane in December 2024. Instead of ensuring accountability and compensation, the Russian authorities launched a campaign of persecution against Azerbaijani migrants. In Yekaterinburg, during the mass detention, two brothers Huseyn and Ziyad Din Safarov were brutally tortured to death. Their bodies showed clear signs of torture, with broken bones and severe injuries, including the cutting of their genitals. Yet authorities cynically claimed they had died just simply for heart problems. Their lawyer, Shain Shakhlinzki, and his son, Motvali, also lawyer, were also detained on politically fabricated charges. Since the start of the Russian war against Ukraine, migrants from Central Asia and Caucasus have faced systematic repression, coercion, and forced recruitment into the Russian army. The human rights defender Bahrom Hamroev, sentenced to nearly 14 years and currently held under torturous conditions in colony beyond Article 30, where, for example, in the same colony, murdered Alexei Navalny. Political prisoner Alexei Garin, convicted twice for criticizing the war against Ukraine, likewise remains in punitive isolation in Altai region, despite urgent UN calls for his release. We urge the Russian Federation to end their repressions and immediately release all political prisoners. I thank you.

Thank you. Now I invite the representative of the Human Rights House Foundation.

Thank you, Vice President. Legislation in Russia continues to destroy what exists of civil society. Since April, foreign agent status now applies to anyone cooperating with international institutions, including the International Criminal Court. The undesirable organizations law has facilitated the closure of the independent election monitor, Golos, after its co-chair was sentenced to five years. Lawyers, including Maria Bonsla, face years in prison simply for their professional work, and Alexei Gorinov has now spent more than two months in a punitive isolation cell and torture-like conditions. Even more concerning, prosecutions for crimes relating to terrorism and extremism against civil society have accelerated. Sentences of more than 10 years have become routine, including for symbolic acts such as a small donation to humanitarian causes in Ukraine or anti-war posts on social media. Memorial now recognizes over 1,000 political prisoners in Russia, many subjected to denial of medical care, fabricated disciplinary measures, and prolonged solitary confinement. The mandate of the Special Rapporteur therefore remains indispensable, and we strongly support its renewal. Vice President, we ask the Special Rapporteur, given Russia's repeated refusal to implement international human rights decisions, including those that hold a legal obligation, what combination of legal and diplomatic levers are most likely to increase compliance? Thank you.

Thank you. Now we have a video from the International Center Against Censorship.

Amnesty International welcomes the report of the Special Rapporteur on the Russian Federation, which rightly highlights the seismic decline in the human rights situation. The Russian Federation continues to tighten its control over the right to freedom of expression online and to entrench its digital iron curtain. The introduction of the new messaging app Max, combined with recent restrictions on widely used messaging services Telegram and WhatsApp, marks a dangerous escalation of digital repression. These steps effectively sever safe and secure communications for over 100 million users of messaging platforms in the country, isolating them further from their families, colleagues, and the international community. We are equally concerned with the crackdowns on VPNs, one of the last tools enabling people in Russia to bypass censorship and access independent information. By targeting VPNs, the authorities aim to eliminate one of the last avenues of digital freedom. These developments are part of Russia's broader pursuit of so-called digital sovereignty, an effort to replace global platforms with state-controlled applications integrated into government services. Such measures represent not digital sovereignty, but digital isolation. We stand in solidarity with all of those in Russia who continue to defend their fundamental rights against escalating government control. We urge states to support Russian civil society, including independent media and human rights defenders, in their continued fight against this digital repression. Thank you.

I invite the representative of the Lawyers Rights Watch Canada.

Mr. President, Lawyers Rights Watch Canada, the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute, and the Law Society of England and Wales, with endorsement by OVD-Info and Memorial Human Rights Defense Center, concur with the Special Rapporteur that human rights in Russia are facing seismic decline. Russia has escalated its repression of lawyers, who face discipline, disbarment, prosecution, or imprisonment for carrying out their professional duties. The resulting denial of independent lawyers of choice contributes to unfair trials in courts that lack independence. Dozens of lawyers and human rights defenders are among Russia's 1,656 arbitrarily detained persons. Among them is lawyer Maria Bonsler, who is being prosecuted for her professional legal work in cases involving politically motivated charges. A proposed law on advocacy and the legal profession would expand Ministry of Justice oversight of lawyers further, threatening their independence. Laws on foreign agents and undesirable organizations are used to curtail lawyers' and defenders' freedom of expression and association. Those charged with violating these overbroad laws may be subjected to trials in absentia and transnational repression of people living outside Russia. It is clear that the continued work of the Special Rapporteur is essential. We urge the Council to adopt a strong resolution to renew the mandate. Thank you, Mr. Vice-President.

Thank you. Now I invite the representative of Conscience and Peace Tax International, please.

Thank you, Mr. President, Mr. Vice President. Ms. Katzarova, as you note, desertion has become one of the main avenues for those seeking to avoid participating in the Ukraine war. Applications from conscripts to perform alternative civilian service are now being rejected wholesale in some areas, notably Moscow. Meanwhile, under the mobilisation decree, contract soldiers are forcibly retained in their units even after the expiry of their contracts, and the torture which you report of those who seek discharge is widely publicised in order to discourage others. We remain exercised by the plight of the thousands who have left Russia following desertion or in order to avoid mobilisation. Russians who have opposed the attack on Ukraine by political means or through the media have generally received sympathetic treatment as refugees. Not so those who have done so by directly refusing to participate. On 27th August, for instance, a Russian deserter was returned by the USA. Like others, he will face unfair trial, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment in detention, and continued persecution as a political opponent of the government. We call on States to respect your recommendation regarding the non-refoulement of conscientious objectors, noting, as you observe, that this is increasingly deserters, and that they do everything within their power to facilitate their freedom of movement. Thank you.

I thank you. Now I invite the representative of, uh, Human Rights Watch.

Mr. President, uh, we thank the special rapporteur for her report and agree with her that the situation has continued to deteriorate. The Russian government seeks to intimidate its critics into silence, especially those who take a stance against its war in Ukraine, independent reporters, writers, independent lawyers, and peaceful political opposition supporters. As of August this year, Russia's political prisoners list maintained by Memorial Human Rights Group recorded over 1,000 individuals, up by over 300 people from a year ago. Since August 2024, authorities bound under 67 organizations as undesirable, and the courts have imposed at least 185 penalties for participating in the activities of undesirable groups, including against prominent media outlets. Six hundred and forty-one persons have been criminally prosecuted on bogus charges of false information or discreditation of Russian armed forces since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In total, 1,181 persons at least have faced criminal prosecution for opposing Russia's war, and 336 people remain imprisoned. Authorities censor online information about Russia's war in Ukraine, blocking more than Time is up, sorry.

Now we have a video message from Baptist World Alliance.

Mr. President, with thanks for the work of and in support of the renewal of the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Russian Federation, Baptist World Alliance draws attention to the continued egregious violations of human rights in the Russian Federation, including in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. The Russian Federation persists in demonstrating contempt for the rights of religious minorities. Pastors have been subjected to persecution, including fines and imprisonment, for sermons opposing the war in Ukraine on religious grounds.

Religious organizations have experienced repressive state control through laws requiring registration.

Jehovah's Witnesses endure a total ban since the government classified them as extremists. The precarious situation of children in temporarily occupied Ukraine is a great concern. Tens of thousands of children, many from orphanages, have been abducted and placed in state-run facilities across the Russian Federation.

Indoctrination and militarization of children within temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine is profoundly disturbing.

We call on the Russian Federation to return to the internationally recognized borders which existed prior to its 2014 war of aggression against Ukraine. We call on the Russian Federation to make every effort to return Ukrainian children who have been abducted and suggest the need for international monitoring to help track and facilitate their psychological well-being and safe return home. We encourage the Special Rapporteur to continue every effort to ensure freedom of religion or belief for all across the Russian Federation and in the territories their military temporarily occupy.

Thank you. Okay, that was the last speaker on the list. I will now turn to the Special Rapporteur for her concluding remarks. Madam, please.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. Thank you, distinguished delegates, ambassadors. and representatives of civil society, it was very enriching for me to hear your comments and to see what you are deliberating about through your questions. I have a very limited amount of time and just wanted to say I totally agree with the distinguished ambassador of Zimbabwe. It's true that the respect, the protection of human rights is really important responsibility of each country and each government. And this is exactly what I'm hoping to see that the Russian government is doing with its own people, its own country, its own civil society that is now under such a tremendous attack and assault to be dismantled and destroyed. I cannot agree more. I think it was Venezuela They were saying that my mandate is doomed to fail. I wish that there is no need to have a mandate of a special rapporteur on the Russian Federation. That's actually my dream, that I become jobless. On that day, it will be a happy day when we will see all the political prisoners released from Russia and nobody anymore would have been sentenced on fabricated charges, tortured and ill-treated for their anti-war stance or for freedom of expression. To the questions you asked me, how to help the Russian civil society? I just want to tell you, they are in the room at the moment. They are in Geneva. And you will have an opportunity to ask them yourself. Even beyond Geneva, you can always reach out to the Russian civil society. The ones inside the country are always working with the ones in exile. They are together. They're one civil society. I think it's extremely important to really help the exiled activists in all your countries of the world to set shop, to receive a calm and respectful conditions to do their human rights work without fear that they could be deported back to Russia, without fear that non-refoulement principle could be violated. So it's extremely important that You don't apply blanket policies on visa regimes for or sanctions towards Russian citizens. I think it's very important that the human rights defenders have access to visas, that they're able to come and speak to us. I'm all for keeping the channels of communication with the Russian society on all levels, with the civil society, with the government, with the authorities. At the same time, I believe in the fact that torturers and those who actually masterminded killings and tortures of journalists and despicable brutalities against the Ukrainian detainees, civilian detainees, and prisoners of war in Russia, they need to be punished in a court of law. They need to face accountability. It's really difficult to see how the courts and the whole system in the Russian Federation, which has been so politicized, is able to deliver this justice to the victims within Russia. Unfortunately, Russia is not a member any longer, not only of the European Convention on Human Rights, but not of the European Convention on the Prevention of Torture and torture and the absolute prohibition of torture is something that we all in this room agree on as signatories, all of you, I hope, of the UN Convention against Torture. So I think it's really paramount to have the channels of dialogue to the Russian society, both online and in person. I encourage governments and other member states to ensure not only visas for the Russian human rights defenders, but also stipends so we could see Russian students continuing to study in our universities. We need to continue talking to the Russian society and the Russian people in all possible means, because otherwise they will be left only with the propaganda of their government and within an isolation. So it's really up to us. And also use the avenues of your own universal jurisdiction, of your own legal systems in each of your countries. and be creative. I know it's difficult to come up with ways of getting these torturers to pay and all these war criminals and masterminders of the repression against the Russian human rights movement so that justice is really done. We could all think of a strategy how to do it together. Thank you very much.

Thank you. I thank you, madam. Dear colleagues, this brings us to the end of this interactive dialogue. I think the Special Rapporteur will now have a one-minute break to reset the podium and to start the enhanced interactive dialogue on the High Commissioner's report on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Thank you. Okay. Dear colleagues, excellencies, distinguished colleagues, we will now begin the enhanced interactive dialogue on the High Commissioner's report on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, pursuant to Council Resolution 55/21. I welcome the presence of the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs. Nada Al-Nashif. And also, it is my honor to welcome our distinguished participants, Mrs. Elizabeth Salmon, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in DPRK via video message, Mr. Michael Kirby, the chair of the former Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the DPRK, also via video, and Mrs. Hye Sim Mang, a former national of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, also by video, which I missed, I'm sorry to say it. Also, the enhanced dialogue will be open with a video message from the High Commissioner, Mr. Volker Turk. Now, please let's start and let's be quiet because we are running out of time. Those who want to speak, like on my right, please go out and speak freely. Yes, now I will give the floor, or now we will open the discussion and I invite the High Commissioner to make the opening statement via video.

Mr. President, Excellencies, The report before you today details a lost decade for the people of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Ten years since this Council's Commission of Inquiry issued its findings, the human rights situation in the country has worsened. People are silenced, watched, exploited, and every aspect of their lives is controlled. Public executions are reportedly taking place for more crimes than before, particularly for economic crimes, drug trafficking, distributing foreign media, and crimes perceived to be against the state. Many of these crimes do not meet the threshold requirement for the death penalty under international law. Forced labor in many forms remains deeply entrenched in the country. The authorities forcibly mobilize people for work in the military, in detention facilities and prisons. People are also forced to work without pay in state-assigned jobs and in so-called shock brigades, often in hazardous conditions. We have reports of people dying during these operations, which the government publicly glorifies as a sacrifice to the leader. Workers who are sent abroad to generate income for the state are subjected to severe exploitation. The institutionalized labor of school children, particularly in the agricultural sector, is very concerning. My office's monitoring, including satellite imagery, confirms that at least four political prison camps are operating where people face severe human rights violations, including enforced disappearances and forced labor. The authorities have criminalized access to unauthorized foreign information, together with linguistic expressions that do not conform with prescribed socialist ideology and culture. These actions carry severe punishments, including the death penalty. I deeply regret that there has been no progress regarding the fate of foreign nationals forcibly disappeared by the DPRK, including those from the Republic of Korea and Japan. Many family members are aging or have passed away without knowing the whereabouts of their loved ones. Thousands of Korean families are still forcibly separated with no possibility to meet. The DPRK has not allowed family reunions since 2018. People who are forcibly repatriated to the DPRK are subjected to serious human rights violations. Such refoulements are grave breaches of international law and must stop. The report notes some limited improvements in the country over the past 10 years. For example, the government has reportedly reformed its laws to better ensure fair trials and protect people in detention, and has made nominal improvements in detention conditions, including a slight decrease in violence by guards. Nevertheless, my office continues to receive reports of torture and ill treatment in detention. Mr. President, over 40 percent of the population of the DPRK is undernourished. The COVID-19 pandemic was particularly harsh for the people in DPRK. Between 2021 and 2023, many escapees reported a severe lack of food, including in Pyongyang, and that people starved to death. Malnutrition is passed on from parents to children, generation after generation, condemning families to a cycle of suffering and long-term consequences. And yet, The authorities continue curtailing people's ability to make a living. Informal markets, which were a means of subsistence for many, especially married women, are increasingly restricted for promoting so-called anti-social behavior. Education, health, and social services are officially available free of charge. However, in practice, people are required to make unaffordable financial and in-kind contributions to secure these services, essentially rendering them inaccessible for many. Corruption has infiltrated governance structures, leaving the poor most exposed to further violations. Discrimination, particularly based on state assigned social class and birth, continues to pervade society. Gender discrimination is deeply rooted in society, in particular in state institutions and education. Domestic violence is widespread and underreported due to stigma and inadequate legal protection. While unauthorized travel outside the country has always been a crime, today the authorities have imposed further restrictions by strengthening the border, increasing surveillance, and imposing severe punishments for those trying to leave. Mr. President, my office is not aware of any accountability measures taken by the DPRK for human rights violations or international crimes perpetrated during the past decade. Outside of the DPRK, important steps towards accountability have taken place. My office continues to monitor and document violations and preserve information and evidence in its mandated central repository. Victims groups and civil society have raised concerns with UN human rights mechanisms They have engaged the International Criminal Court. They have launched civil cases in the Republic of Korea and Japan, and they have provided support to victims. But the situation remains one of the most chronic and longstanding human rights crises in the world. A change of course is urgently needed to avoid another decade of suffering. International human rights law provides the roadmap for improving the human rights situation. In that regard, I welcome the DPRK's increased engagement with the human rights system, including with my office, the universal period review process, and the treaty bodies. This is a step in the right direction, but it is meaningless unless it translates into real change in people's lives. The government needs to undertake deep institutional reform Some changes could build momentum and show that the government is serious about improving the situation. These include abolishing the death penalty, ending torture, closing political prison camps, restarting family connections, and addressing cases of enforced disappearance. I urge the government to continue to draw on my office's expertise. The authorities must also investigate and prosecute individuals for international crimes. The international community also has a crucial role to play. I urge member states to refer the situation in the DPRK to the International Criminal Court, to pursue accountability through universal or extraterritorial jurisdiction, and to support victims in their territory. They also need to examine the unintended consequences of broad sectoral sanctions on people's human rights. Mr. President, people in the DPRK are sealed off from the rest of the world more than ever before. This long-standing isolation fuels human rights violations and weakens regional and international peace and security. The path out of repression and misery lies in respecting human rights engagement and cooperation. We must all work together to support the human rights of the people of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Okay, now I will give the floor to our presenters for their introductory remarks. I remind them that they have five minutes each. And now it will be a video, a live video. I now give the floor to Ms. C. Elizabeth Salmon, please.

Thank you, Mr. President, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, and ladies and gentlemen. As the Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, I welcome the High Commissioner's comprehensive report and commend the courage of the hundreds of escapees and stakeholders who contributed to the Office's work. Their voices are the backbone of every accountability effort. I also share grave concerns with grave concerns its conclusions. Despite isolated steps, the human rights situation in the DPRK in many instance has worsened since 2014. There is increased repression, wider surveillance, economic instability, absolute isolation, and extreme militarization. I want to take this opportunity today to complement these findings with three issues that I have addressed throughout my mandate. I encourage State members to think collectively about how we can move forward to improve the living conditions of people on the ground. First, human rights violations are not confined inside of the country. The DPRK has continued violating human rights beyond its borders. This includes international abductions and enforced disappearances of foreign nationals, forced labor of overseas workers, sophisticated cyber threat activities, the repression of escapees, and the recent deployment of military personnel to armed conflicts abroad. While overseas workers are deployed to earn foreign currencies in harsh labor conditions, People inside the DPRK must continue to meet their payment quotas to be paid to the state. More militarization means more exploitation of labor and fewer resources allocated to protect fundamental freedoms and human rights. This places a high military burden on the people and disproportionately affects the most vulnerable. Second, I want to highlight the aggravated impact that the DPRK's human rights violations have on women. Women play a crucial role in the economic sphere, earning a living and securing food for their families. Likewise, women are often at the forefront of searching for family members who have forcibly disappeared. Recently, I learned that it was mothers who anxiously sought information on whether their sons in the military service had been sent to fight in the Russian Federation-Ukraine armed conflict when the government had not informed the people of its participation in the war. Also, women comprise the vast majority of escapees. They serve as our primary connection to those suffering inside the country. The role is key for identifying the people's needs and paving the way towards sustainable peace. Third, I want to reemphasize the essentialness of accountability to achieve human rights. Victims, civil society, states, the United Nations, and the international community have pursued various forms of accountability. Many victims shared their stories with the United Nations, governments, and civil society organizations to document human rights violations. Some brought civil litigation to domestic courts. Some victims submitted communications to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. Others have pursued memorialization efforts. Yes, human rights violations continue. Yes, in some areas, these conditions have seriously eroded. However, we must continue to acknowledge the countless efforts made to pursue diverse forms of justice. We must not disregard that progress has been made during the past 10 years. I call upon the international community to continue and strengthen engagement and accountability. The existing international human rights mechanisms offer multiple tools to support such processes. Each step we take will bring us closer to our ultimate goal, guaranteeing justice and improving human rights of people. Finally, I would like to conclude on a note of hope for future generations. I have heard young escapees speak. Their priorities are varied, but all share the same dream, a better future. Over the next 10 years, I firmly believe that we, the international community, and the government of the DPRK should give them the possibility for change, a space to openly talk about what they want and to make their own way. It is upon us to provide young people the opportunity to turn that possibility into a reality. Thank you.

Okay, thank you. Now we have a pre-recorded video message from Mr. Michael Kirby.

I'm Michael Kirby, and I had the honor in 2013-14 to chair the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights Violations in the Democratic Republic of Korea. The COI was established in 2013 and gave its report on time in 2014. The report was strongly endorsed by the Human Rights Council. It was endorsed by the General Assembly, and it came before the Security Council, and it remains on its agenda to this day. I express thanks for the opportunity to offer these comments on the assessment report, which has now been delivered by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Whereas the COI report amounted to 400 pages, the follow-up report is 15 pages. It's therefore succinct, but it's most timely. I welcome it and its contribution to achieving accountability for human rights abuses in North Korea. Nothing in my long experience as a judge in Australia could have prepared me for what we discovered in our inquiry. The COI concluded, quote, "Systematic, widespread, and gross human rights violations have been and are being committed in the DPRK by its institutions and officials. Many constitute crimes against humanity. The gravity, scale, and violations reveal a state that does not have any parallel in the contemporary world." End quote. So what, if anything, has changed in the past 10 years? During the COI's investigations, that we called on the distinguished ambassador for the Russian Federation in Geneva. He gave us wise words. He said, "We understand the comrades and where they're coming from, but if they improve things, if they acknowledge their errors, give them encouragement and offer them congratulations." The COI adopted that approach. We did so wholeheartedly, but alas, there were few opportunities for honest felicitations. Applying the same approach now, 10 years later, there have been a few improvements, and they deserve acknowledgement. DPRK began participating more thoroughly in the Universal Periodic Review before this Council. They did so in the 2018 and 2025. This was good, but it left a lot to be desired. The DPRK engaged with the United Nations in the treatment of persons with disabilities. It even invited the UN Special Rapporteur for that purpose to visit the country. But it declined visits for virtually all other human rights purposes. There have been reports of some improvements in the treatment of detainees in the many places of incarceration that exist throughout the DPRK, but that country does not allow the United Nations or others to express and explain and make claim for improvement. There have been reports of new and stronger laws for human rights accountability, but inspection to check those claims has always been denied. New, cheaper housing has spread, but the role of forced labor in this move is reportedly rife. The political system is still relentlessly totalitarian. No country on earth subjects its population to such unremitting propaganda. Families, long divided, are cruelly kept apart. The DPRK could easily afford unthreatening links on digital platforms. Dividing prisoners of war and foreign abductees and keeping them separate and unable to make contact with their families and loved ones is barbarous. If it is ever to happen, family reunion must come now at once. A recommendation of the COI report that was implemented was for the creation of a field office of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Seoul. It has continued as a key element of the COI's report recommendations, with personal interviews involving more than 1,000 SKPs, 52 reports on a particular aspect of their predicament, And these reports lie in wait for accountability for grave human rights abuses that our treaties promise. That will one day come. 20 years before my service in the COI on North Korea, I served as Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations on human rights in Cambodia. I saw a number of human rights improvements in that country, march in step with economic openness and economic growth. DPRK remains most isolated. Behind their borders, essential progress will one day happen. There have been tiny improvements, but too few, too slow, and too late. The dream of universal human rights is in the Charter. It's in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of Eleanor Roosevelt and Dr. Evert of Australia and other experts, Rene Cassin and others. The Council must somehow find a way to secure more rapid improvement in the human rights situation in North Korea, nothing less will fulfill the promise of the Charter and of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

I now give the floor to Mrs. Hyo Sim Myung, a former national of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, living abroad. That's a video live. Please.

Hello. My name is Hyosin Maeng, and I was born in Hyesan, DPRK. In 2018, at the age of 17, I escaped with my parents. We left behind not only our home, but also a life filled with fear, injustice, and silence. One moment changes everything for us. My parents are running a small shop. When my mother asked a man to pay his debt, he attacked my parents with an iron stick. My father reported it to the police. But the case disappeared after a bribe was paid. The courts also ignored us. At the moment, we realized in DPRK, there is no justice, no protection, no hope. That was when we decided to risk our lives to find freedom. I grew as a law student. I was even a youth leader who monitored other students' clothes and hair. I truly believed DPRK was the best country in the world. But I didn't know what freedom meant. I didn't know what human rights are. We are taught to keep our feet on our soil and our eyes on the world. or reality or windows to the world or seared shut. The hardest thing part of my story is about my mother. She is disabled because of polio. In DPRK, disability is not seen with compassion or with contempt. She was discriminated against because she was disabled. She could not go university, and she was forced to pay fines for many years because she could not work. Sometimes as a teenager, I went to construction work in her place. Still, my mother never gave up. She sold clothes in a small shop. raised me with more love and courage than anyone else I know. She's my hero. Today in ROK, I have learned a simple but powerful truth. Every human being has dignity. No one should be beaten for asking for justice. No child should be forced to labor instead of learning. No mother should hide her disability in shame, and no government has a right to steal the freedom and voice of its people. Right now, millions in DPRK still live in darkness. They can't speak, they can't choose, and they can't dream. But I believe change is possible. Your attention, your voice, and your actions can bring the light to the darkness. I stand here not only for myself, but for those who can't stand here today. Please do not forget them. Together, let us be a voice for the voiceless, and let us keep hope alive for people of North Korea. Thank you.

Okay. I thank you. Thank you very much. According to our practice, we will now hear from the delegation of the country concerned. And I see that the delegation of DPRK is not in the room. So therefore, also I have to announce that the list of speakers is now closed. So therefore, I will jump to the dialogue with the delegations to ask questions to the presenters and to make comments on their statements. So the first on the list is Estonia to speak on behalf of a group of countries. Please.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. I have the honor to deliver the statement on behalf of the Nordic Baltic states. We thank the High Commissioner for his update. DPRK remains one of the most isolated countries in the world, with devastating consequences for its people. We remain deeply concerned about the ongoing serious, systematic, widespread and grave human rights violations, as well as crimes against humanity committed in the country. OHCHR's monitoring confirms continuous operation of political prison camps, enforced disappearance, forced labour, sexual and gender-based violence, summary executions and starvation. We call on DPRK to respect all human rights and fundamental freedoms and fully cooperate with the UN human rights mechanisms. As highlighted by the High Commissioner, DPRK continues to increase its military spending with heavy investment in new weapons and related technologies, as well as providing soldiers to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. We call on DPRK to immediately stop its involvement in the warfare in Ukraine and instead to respect and invest in the human rights of its own population. Madam Deputy High Commissioner, what can the international community do to alleviate the suffering of the people of DPRK?

I thank you.

Thank you, Ambassador. European Union, please.

Mr. Vice President, the European Union thanks the High Commissioner for this comprehensive report. We remain appalled by the widespread and systematic human rights violations in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, many of which may constitute crimes against humanity. The report clearly shows that the population of the DPRK continues to suffer brutal repression, fear and deprivation in violation of the country's international human rights obligations. The EU calls on the DPRK to address the findings of the Commission of Inquiry from 2014 and the recommendations in this new report, and to cooperate with the Special Rapporteur, the OHCHR, and other human rights mechanisms, and grant them access to the country. We hope that the DPRK might end its near-total isolation, resume full diplomatic engagement, and allow the return of UN agencies and humanitarian actors. The EU remains committed to ensuring that the situation in the DPRK does not become a forgotten crisis and to working with partners to ensure accountability. We strongly condemn the DPRK's support for Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and urge it to immediately cease any direct or indirect assistance. Dear panelists, what concrete actions should the international community prioritize to improve the situation of human rights in the country? Thank you.

Thank you, Ambassador. Venezuela to speak on behalf of a group of countries.

Thank you, President. It is our honor to take the floor on behalf of a group of countries who are friends of the defense of the Charter of the United Nations. We take this opportunity to voice our deep regret in the growing and continued use of parallel mechanisms and country-specific mandates to present reports to assess human rights situations in given states. steps which are based on illegal resolutions adopted without the due consent of the country concerned and which are then applied against their will. We attach the greatest possible importance to the promotion and protection of all human rights. We wish to make that clear. We firmly believe that the best way of promoting and protecting human rights is via dialogue and cooperation. For this reason, we categorically reject practices that are politically motivated, which are merely the mirror or reflection of propagandist or propaganda against the DPRK. And this includes the report of the Human Rights Commission on the human rights situation in this country. Engaging in such propaganda undermines the principles of non-selectivity, transparency, and non-confrontation, and non-politicization, and tailored. That should be the hallmark of this council. Such reports in this council should never be used as weapons, nor should they be exploited to promote political agendas or to interfere in the internal affairs of third states. Finally, we would like to commend the DPRK for its efforts to guarantee the enjoyment of the full enjoyment of human rights by its people and to ensure their well-being as well. Thank you very much, Vice-President.

Thank you, Ambassador. Now, Netherlands, please.

Thank you, Mr Vice-President. I have the honour to deliver the statement on behalf of the Benelux countries, which is aligned with the EU statement. We thank the High Commissioner for his report, which paints a deeply alarming picture of the situation in the DPRK. And over the past decade, the human rights situation in the DPRK has further deteriorated. Most of the recommendations from the Commission of Inquiry remain unimplemented after 10 years. A dialogue is not possible. In the past seven years, there has been a significant increase in the adoption of laws and policies that provide the authorities with the legal framework for further repression. In addition, surveillance technology has increased control over the population. And moreover, the fate of the hundreds of thousands of disappeared persons, including abducted foreign nationals, remains unknown. Women are facing widespread sexual and gender-based violence, including domestic violence, while access to justice is limited. Forced labor has increased over the last decade. Finally, and of great concern, the use of the death penalty has expanded, including for vaguely defined anti-state crimes. We are deeply concerned about the developments with regards to human rights in the DPRK and urge the DPRK to implement the recommendations from the Commission of Inquiry. The people of the DPRK deserve dignity. They deserve justice. Mr. High Commissioner, what steps should be taken to prevent the next decade from becoming another lost decade for human rights, or, as you said, another decade of suffering for the people of the DPRK? I thank you.

Thank you, Republic of Korea.

Uh, thank you, Mr. Vice President. The Republic of Korea appreciates the High Commissioner's report, which provides a comprehensive account of the human rights situation in the DPRK over the past decade since the landmark CI report, being true to its title. My government urges DPRK to heed the recommendations in the report and make sincere efforts to substantially improve the humanitarian situation for its people. We call for the DPRK to resume communications such as correspondence between separated family members and their reunions. given that over 30% of surviving families are aged 90 or older. We also urge the prompt release of abductees, detainees, and unrepatriated prisoners of war, which are a matter of humanitarian concern. My delegation takes note of the DPRK's participation in its recent CRPD review and its fourth cycle UPR. We encourage the DPRK to continue to actively engage with UN human rights mechanisms in fulfilling the recommendations made by the international community. My government regards substantial enhancement of human rights of the North Korean people as an important issue and remains committed to the global endeavors in this

Thank you, Ambassador. Japan, please.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President.

Deputy High Commissioner, I express my sincere appreciation to you for your dedicated efforts.

I would also like to thank the distinguished speakers for their informative and indeed alarming briefing.

The High Commissioner's report highlights that the human rights situation in the DPRK continues to deteriorate even over a decade

on from the COI report. Clearly, this issue remains a significant concern for the international community.

The abduction of Japanese nationals by DPRK is gravely concerning as it affects our sovereignty, the lives and

safety of our people.

We commend the High Commissioner's report for addressing this critical issue. The families of the abductees are now well advanced in age, making this a time-sensitive humanitarian issue. Considering the tremendous suffering that victims and their families have endured over the years, there is no time to waste. Japan strongly urges the DPRK to let the abduction victims return to their homes immediately.

North Korea should sincerely hear the voices

of the international community, the abductees, their families, including those expressed in this report. It must take concrete actions towards the immediate resolution of the abduction issues and foster cooperation with the international community. Japan remains committed to collaborating closely with the countries

concerned and the United Nations, including the High Commissioner, to achieve this immediate return of all abductees.

I thank you.

Thank you, Ambassador. New Zealand.

Thank you, Vice-President. New Zealand thanks the High Commissioner for his report on the human rights situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and to the other speakers for their insights. We commend the victims and witnesses who contributed to your report. New Zealand continues to be appalled by the dire situation in the DPRK across almost every area of basic human rights. We remain deeply concerned about reports of public executions, abductions, arbitrary detention, forced labour, torture, and sexual and gender-based violence. We condemn the failure of the DPRK to hold accountable those responsible for those grave abuses. We are particularly concerned that the application of the death penalty has significantly expanded since 2015, including for sharing foreign media. New Zealand is committed to the abolition of the death penalty worldwide. We welcome the recommendations that the DPRK end its use of the death penalty and urge the immediate halt of public executions. We also strongly condemn the DPRK's regime ongoing diversion of its limited national resources towards its illegal nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs at the direct expense of the welfare of its people. We continue to urge the DPRK to engage with the recommendations from its most recent Universal Periodic Review. and we encourage the DPRK to invite the High Commissioner and Special Rapporteur to visit the country. We ask, what more can the international community do to improve the lives of the people of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea? Thank you.

Thank you. Australia.

Thank you, Vice-President. Australia remains deeply concerned by the continued widespread human rights violations in the DPRK, including enforced disappearances, forced labour, restrictions on freedom of expression, impunity for sexual and gender-based violence, and the increased use of the death penalty. Deputy High Commissioner, the High Commissioner's comprehensive report draws a clear link between heightened government control and the increased human suffering of DPRK citizens. We continue to be alarmed by reports of forced repatriations to the DPRK, where returnees, particularly women and girls, face a high risk of torture, arbitrary detention, and other grave human rights violations. Civil society and victim-survivor voices are vital to expose human rights violations, and we encourage the DPRK to allow civil society to return to ensure victim-survivors are heard. We encourage states to integrate human rights concerns into all engagements with the DPRK. We commend efforts to explore both judicial and non-judicial accountability pathways, including memorialisation and education. Given the report's findings on the DPRK's intensified self-isolation and control, what are the implications for access to independent information, the ability for individuals to exercise their human rights. Thank you.

Thank you, Ambassador. Ukraine, please.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. Ukraine welcomes the report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. The report makes it clear that since 2014, the human rights situation has not improved in any in many respects and significantly deteriorated. We share the deep concerns that DPRK continues to impose total control over its people, severely restricting fundamental freedoms and access to information. Particularly alarming are the expanded use of the death penalty, harsh punishment of those accessing foreign media, and the ongoing existence of political prison camps. Chronic food insecurity affecting over 40 percent of population along with institutionalized forced labor, underscores the gravity of the situation and the urgent need for international attention. Ukraine also stressed the destabilizing impact of the DPRK's excessive military spending, nuclear and missile programs, and most recently, its transfer of munitions and deployment of soldiers to the Russian Federation. By supporting the Russian Federation aggression against Ukraine, the DPRK has made itself complicit in war crimes and crimes against humanity. We urge the DPRK authorities to assume their primary responsibility to safeguard the rights and interests of their own people. And we echo the High Commissioner's proposal as a practical roadmap to gradual improvement of the human rights situation in the country. I thank you.

Thank you. Russian Federation.

Thank you, Vice-President. We regret that the Council is still being used to publish all these accusations against the DPRK. We believe that instrumentalisation of human rights and situation in this country is aimed at destabilising the internal situation and preventing the development of the country. We believe that one of the main reasons underlying the problems in the DPRK is the unilateral coercive measures imposed against the country the West, including in the humanitarian field. The efforts of Pyongyang to improve the situation are deliberately ignored, and the fact that the country continues to provide free education goes unmentioned. Efforts aimed at promoting the rights and freedoms of the people are also overlooked, including the adoption of a law on children and education and the rights of persons with disabilities. All these measures are being promoted by Pyongyang despite the pressure brought to bear on the country by the West, and in particular there's the ban on fuel and construction materials for the country, and this is making the lives of ordinary people in the country difficult. We reject this politicised approach and invite the Council to focus on constructive cooperation with the DPRK in light of the historic, cultural, economic and social and historic specificities of that country. Thank you.

Thank you. Lao PDR, please.

Thank you, Mr. Vice-President. My delegation thanks the High Commissioner for the report. We commend the Democratic People's Republic of Korea for its strong commitment and continued efforts to promote and protect human rights in the country, including by strengthening the legal framework to promote the well-being of children, women and persons with disabilities. They emphasize the adherence of the principles of universality, impartiality, objectivity, and selectivity, and non-politicization in promoting and and protecting human rights for all. Moreover, we affirm that the best way to enhance the enjoyment of human rights on the ground is through genuine dialogue and cooperation with respect for the fundamental principle of sovereignty, independence, and non-interference in the internal affairs of other states. My delegation further reiterates that the country-specific initiative without the consent of country concerned are counterproductive and should be considered through the constructive engagement and cooperation in order to achieve meaningful advancement of human rights of its citizens. I thank you, Mr. Vice President.

Thank you. Iran, please.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. The Islamic Republic of Iran acknowledges the efforts undertaken by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the promotion and protection of human rights, and encourages the continuation of these efforts with renewed commitment and perseverance. Iran firmly believes that intersectional challenges, including underdevelopment, unilateral coercive measures, external pressure, and persistent security threats, create a self-perpetuating cycle of miseries that severely undermines national capacity building and impairs genuine progress in the field of human rights. Mr. Vice President, in the view of profoundly detrimental impact of UCMs on the DPRK's ability to implement its human rights-related initiative, Iran calls upon the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to explore constructive venue that would empower the DPRK in mitigating the effects of such measure with a thorough examination of the preventive and consequences of UCMs on the realization of fundamental human rights. To conclude, the Islamic Republic of Iran reiterates its position that any sincere commitment to the promotion of human rights must be grounded in dialogue, mutual respect, and international cooperation. In this regard, Iran underscore the counterproductive nature of selective, politically motivated, and non-consensual monitoring mechanisms, which compromise the integrity of human rights frameworks by prioritizing political agenda over impartial engagement. I thank you.

Hi, thank you. Please observe the time. China, please.

Mr. Vice.

President, China recognizes DPRK's commitment to national construction and economic social development, as well as its measures to gradually improve people's well-being. China has taken note that DPRK has ratified multiple human rights conventions, is committed to 2030 SDGs, and has scored progress in protecting the rights of women people with disabilities and other specific groups. UCMs constitute one of the major obstacles to DPRK's national development. Unfortunately, in his report, the High Commissioner fails to explicitly mention the negative impact of UCMs on the humanitarian situation in DPRK. China urges countries concerned to remove UCMs against the DPRK and stop violating the the human rights of the Korean people, China reaffirms its strong opposition to establishing country specific mechanism without the consent of the countries concerned to the slander and defamation based on unsounded information and interfering in the country's internal affairs.

Under the guise of human rights.

China urges that all countries should observe the fundamental principles of impartiality, objectivity, non-selectivity, non-politization, stop unfounded accusations against other countries, and return without delay to the right path of cooperation and dialogue. Thank you.

Thank you. Belarus, please.

Thank you, Vice President. We regret the continuation of the practice of using human rights instruments to put pressure on the authorities of the DPRK. It is essential to respect the sovereignty of the DPRK and the path for development chosen by the country, and we should not meddle in the internal affairs of the state on the pretext of human rights. The DPRK is taking efforts to improve human rights, and this against a backdrop of challenges the results to ensure economic and social progress and support for the population should be noted. Constructive cooperation requires ending these mechanisms which are imposed against the country, and we call for a non-politicized approach, which is the guarantee for effective and constructive progress in the protection of human rights. Thank you.

I thank you. Eritrea, please.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. We reaffirm that the Council's mandate is best achieved through dialogue and cooperation, guided by principles of non-selectivity and objectivity, rather than through confrontational or selective approaches. We acknowledge the steps taken by the government of the DPRK, including legislative and practical measures to promote and protect the human rights of its people. Despite many difficulties and hardships, efforts continue within a people-centered system aimed at ensuring rights and welfare for all. Reports prepared under this mandate often rely on unverified information and are produced without recognition from the government concerned. Without genuine engagement between this Council and the country concerned, there is a serious risk of misrepresenting the reality on the ground. Selective and politically motivated approaches further undermine the possibility of constructive dialogue. We therefore urge this Council to prioritize engagement with the DPRK over isolation by bringing this mandate to an end and fostering an environment conducive to progress through cooperation and mutual understanding. I thank you.

Thank you. Liechtenstein, please.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. We would like to thank the High Commissioner for his update report on the human rights situation in the DPRK, which Liechtenstein remains deeply concerned about. Despite the government's promise in 2012 to develop the country, the path that was chosen instead consistently led the DPRK deeper into authoritarianism and oppression, which has not only resulted in a widespread deprivation of the most fundamental human rights, but also has turned the DPRK into the world's most isolated and restricted country. We deplore the DPRK's use of the death penalty as a means to silent dissent. or sanction the distribution of media from so-called hostile nations. Executions are also carried out publicly, a clear message to the population that disobedience is severely punished. We are equally concerned about the pervasive surveillance, forced labor, and political prison camps. More than 10 years after the COI's landmark report in 2014, the situation has not only changed, but has deteriorated even further. The international community must do more to hold the authorities of the DPRK accountable for crimes under international law, including through a long-delayed referral by the Security Council of the situation to the International Criminal Court. I thank you, Mr. Vice-President.

Thank you, Ambassador. Czechia.

Thank you, Mr. Vice-President.

Czechia aligns itself with the EU statement. We thank the High Commissioner for his report and the panelists for their valuable insights. We remain strongly concerned by ongoing extreme repression of the people of the DPRK by the state's ruling authorities. Systemic human rights violations, including widespread killings, torture, ill-treatment, and forced labor, must come to an end. We urge the DPRK authorities to immediately release all the forcibly disappeared or arbitrarily detained individuals. We further call on them to ensure access to adequate food and healthcare for its starving population, instead of investing into weapons of mass destruction. The gravity of these violations must not be forgotten, and those responsible must be held accountable. Czechia calls on the DPRK to cooperate with the UN and its human rights mechanisms to allow access to the country and its people, and implement the recommendations received. Finally, we strongly urge the DPRK to immediately cease its involvement in Russia's heinous war of aggression against Ukraine. Distinguished panelists, what can the Council do?

To empower the DPRK's people and support them in their aspirations for freedom and dignity.

I thank you.

I thank you, Venezuela.

Thank you, Vice-President. Venezuela would like to reiterate its firm rejection of mandates being imposed against specific countries. This mandate in particular, in its nearly 21 years of existence, has wasted millions of dollars just to present partial reports that are biased and politically motivated, instrumentalising human rights to undermine the dignity of the DPRK without highlighting that country's active cooperation with the Council and its mechanisms. This mandate, like all others of its kind, will remain doomed to failure because it denies genuine dialogue and cooperation. Despite the constant siege, the DPRK has implemented several public policies to ensure the human rights of its population. We would like to reiterate for this Council the importance and need to base its work on the principles of universality, objectivity, transparency, equality, non-selectivity and no politicization. Thank you.

Thank you. Zimbabwe.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. Zimbabwe reiterates its firm belief that the mandate and objectives of the Human Rights Council are better achieved when its work is conducted in an open and transparent manner, based on mutually respectful dialogue and engagement that is conceived to support the efforts of each country, rather than to condemn it and punish it. Country-specific mechanisms are clearly not effective in delivering on the objectives of this Council, especially when such mechanisms are imposed without due regard to the position of the country concerned. We urge the Council to build on the positive commitments and constructive dialogue and cooperation with the government of the DPRK in line with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations. Such cooperation, we believe, would be in the best interest towards the promotion and protection of human rights in the DPRK. I thank you, Mr. Vice President.

Thank you. Ireland, please. I'm sorry, no, Vietnam, sorry.

I thank you, Mr. Vice President.

Vietnam takes note.

Of the report of the High Commissioners for Human Rights on the situation of human rights in the DPRK. We attach great importance to the promotion and protection of human rights in line with the UN Charter and international law. Addressing human rights should be based on genuine dialogue and constructive cooperation, with due regard to each country's priorities and circumstances.

The work of the United Nations mechanisms must remain impartial, non-politicized, and non-selective.

Vietnam reaffirms its support for efforts to promote dialogue, peace, stability, and development on the Korean Peninsula, thereby creating favorable conditions for the enjoyment of human rights by the people of the DPRK.

I thank you, Mr. Vice President.

I thank you. Ireland, please.

Vice President Ireland aligns with the EU statement and thanks the Commissioner for this comprehensive report. We are gravely concerned by the widespread and systematic nature of human rights violations in the DPRK, which continue disproportionately to affect the most vulnerable and marginalised people in the country and take place in a pervasive culture of impunity. We condemn the ongoing curtailment of fundamental rights and freedoms and of the freedom of religion or belief. We remain concerned that torture and sexual and gender-based violence continue to occur in detention facilities in the DPRK. We echo the High Commissioner's recommendation to end the system of political prison camps, guilt by association, and use of the death penalty. We are also concerned that the right to food continues to be violated, with state policies exacerbating hunger. Ireland urges the Government of the DPRK to cease all human rights violations, to engage with human rights mechanisms, and to fully implement human rights treaties to which they are a party. We call on the DPRK to allow the full return of international humanitarian and development staff to the country, and to accept technical assistance from the OHCHR on upholding human rights in detention. We remain steadfast in our support of the vital work of the OHCHR and the Special Rapporteur in exploring avenues towards accountability. Deputy High Commissioner, given the continued limited presence of international organisations, what more can Member States do to have diplomatic and humanitarian access to the DPRK reestablished. Thank you.

Thank you, Ambassador. Slovenia.

Slovenia aligns itself with the EU statement. We thank the High Commissioner for his report, which provides a sobering update on the human rights situation in the DPRK since 2014 report of the Commission of Inquiry. The pervasive system of surveillance, arbitrary detention and torture entrenches fear and impunity, leaving victims without remedies. We are especially concerned about persistent discrimination and the inappropriate suffering of women and children. Women remain exposed to gender-based violence and forced labor, while children endure harsh conditions, including forced child labor, lack of adequate food and health care, and education marked by indoctrination rather than learning. Distinguished panelists, how can the Council best support accountability and ensure best protection for women and children who remain the most vulnerable to these systematic violations? Thank you.

Thank you. Equatorial Guinea.

Thank you, Vice President. The delegation of Equatorial Guinea has carefully followed the report presented by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the DPRK. Our country recognizes the efforts made by the Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea regarding the promotion of and respect for human rights in its national territory, adopting a set of legislative measures and practices to promote and protect the human rights of its people and ensure that all persons can enjoy them through a centralized social system, which is guaranteed despite difficulties and challenges. The Human Rights Council should avoid being partial vis-a-vis certain countries and should avoid politicization, selectivity and double standards on human rights, and it should defend the principles of objectivity and impartiality. Thank you.

Thank you. Sudan.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President, we take note of the report of, uh, uh, the High Commissioner on the TPRK, as well as their recommendations and conclusions.

Promoting human rights is the responsibility of the state first and foremost.

The country knows its priorities and needs.

Therefore, we call on DPRK to continue its efforts to promote and protect human rights, be they economic, social, cultural rights, or civil and political rights, and to ratify human rights instruments as well as cooperate with the human right mechanisms we call also to implement recommendations that were accepted in the last UPR. Our responsibility as a Council is to enhance cooperation with the States on the situation of human rights, and we need to preserve this approach. I thank you.

Thank you, Ethiopia.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. Ethiopia remains committed to the promotion and protection of human rights and emphasize that addressing human rights concerns must be done in a manner that respects the principle of non-selectivity, objectivity, and respect for national sovereignty. We believe that the approach to human rights in any country should prioritize genuine dialogue and cooperation. To this end, Ethiopia reiterates the importance of engaging with DPRK in a constructive and non-political manner, ensuring that any dialogue or recommendations reflect the realities of the country's socioeconomic and political context. Ethiopia believes that human rights progress is most effective when it is driven by the country concerned, based.

On the aspiration of its people and supported by national mechanisms.

We emphasize that capacity building, technical assistance upon countries' request, and universal periodic review mechanisms should be prioritized.

In efforts to address human rights concerns.

These efforts must be grounded in the principles of mutual respect, sovereignty, and non-interference in the internal affairs of states. We commend the DPRK for its continued engagement with the universal periodic review process and encourage the country to implement the accepted recommendations.

Furthermore, we support and encourage the DPRK to continue its engagement with the OHCHR and other relevant institutions.

Thank you, Cuba.

Vice President, the report presented on the DPRK is a reflection of the discriminatory and selective practices which regrettably have been imposed on countries of the Global South in the name of human rights. The resolution that mandated this interactive dialogue maintains the hostility and antagonism against the DPRK. This confrontational approach has not and cannot yield any result, despite its high financial cost. Cuba rejects the obsolete, ineffective and meddling, punitive and partial practices against the people and government of the DPRK. We will continue to oppose all mechanisms that undermine the UN Charter, including as regards sovereignty and non-interference in domestic affairs of states. The only effective way to promote human rights is through respectful dialogue and constructive cooperation on the basis of the principles of impartiality and objectivity, without any selectivity, double standards or manipulation. We reject unilateral coercive measures that are imposed against the DPRK because they violate the human rights of its people. Thank you.

Thank you. Switzerland, please.

Thank you, Vice-President. Switzerland would like to thank the High Commissioner for his report. The situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea remains alarming. Serious and systematic violations of human rights are ongoing, impunity continues, and the humanitarian situation remains concerning. The right to freedom of expression is still severely restricted, and the population is the object of heightened surveillance in all areas of life. Switzerland is deeply concerned by reports of an increase in death sentences and their actual execution. We would like to remind everyone that this is a violation of the fundamental right to life. Switzerland calls on the DPRK to allow humanitarian organisations and human rights observers to visit the country and also to establish independent monitoring of the human rights situation. We urge the international community to adopt a holistic approach that combines human rights, humanitarian assistance and security. Madam Deputy High Commissioner, how can the international community support access to the country and to reliable data collected by the Commission of Inquiry in order to better understand the actual human rights situation on the ground? Thank you. I thank you.

We, uh, we exhausted the time. Uh, dear colleagues, we still have three speakers left for tomorrow, so tomorrow we'll continue. also with the non-governmental sector and with the answers in the concluding remarks. So this is the end for today. 00 a.m. to continue with the enhanced interactive dialogue on DPRK and begin the presentation of the oral update on the Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, to be followed by the interactive dialogue on the High Commissioner on the High Commissioner report on Nicaragua and by the presentation of an oral update of the group of experts on Nicaragua. After that, we will open the general debate on agenda item four. So prepare yourselves. Tomorrow it's nonstop from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Take your lunch with you. No breaks, no nothing. Have a nice evening. I declare the meeting closed.