Council of Europe: Human Rights Situation in Occupied Ukrainian Territories Continues to Deteriorate, Warns Against Russian Duma Elections There

The Council of Europe's Secretary General, Alain Berset, unveiled his annual report on the deteriorating human rights situation in Russia-occupied Ukrainian territories in his presentation to the Committee of Ministers, citing a worsening of the conditions over the past year, from April 2025 to March 2026, as documented by UATV English.

Approximately 3.5 million Ukrainians still reside in the temporarily occupied territories, a figure that has been exacerbated by the Russian government's new laws and policies aimed at undermining Ukraine's sovereignty and isolating the occupied areas from the rest of the nation.

The report specifically warns against Russia's plans to hold State Duma elections scheduled for September 20 within the occupied territories, arguing that such an act would be incompatible with international law and would exacerbate the consequences of the ongoing invasion. The report scrutinizes a myriad of human rights violations, encompassing the imposition of Russian citizenship, the treatment of various ethnic groups, cultural heritage erosion, freedom of speech and movement restrictions, property rights infringements, forced conscription, and gender-related concerns.

It particularly highlights the forced relocation and unlawful deportation of children, as well as accountability and transitional justice issues. The report concludes that Russia's actions during the review period constitute a deliberate strategy aimed at exercising control over the territory and dominance over the Ukrainian population through structural violence, identity erasure, and widespread human rights abuses, all of which are fundamentally incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.

The lack of access to the occupied territories by international organizations, coupled with Russia's reluctance to cooperate, has impeded independent verification of the reported violations. Based on visits to Kyiv and Warsaw, as well as inputs from Ukrainian authorities, international bodies, human rights advocates, and open-source data, the report emphasizes the urgent need for the Council of Europe and its affiliates to maintain vigilance, provide support to Ukrainian institutions in establishing necessary legal and institutional structures, and champion accountability measures.

Any meaningful peace process must address the release of civilians and prisoners of war, the return of Ukrainian children, Russia's responsibility for war crimes, and the human rights of Ukrainians still under occupation.