FSB, Russia's Investigative Committee involved in torture of Ukrainians – UN Commission

Vrinda Grover, a Commission member and Indian human rights activist, said this in an interview with Ukrinform.

"As for identification [of individuals and structures responsible for crimes committed during Russia's aggression against Ukraine], we do identify entities as well. Our reports reflect this. For instance, if you look at our reports during the third mandate, we identified the Russian Federation's Federal Security Service (FSB), the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) and its special purpose units (SPETSNAZ), and the Investigations Committee, as entities playing an important role in the perpetration of torture as part of a coordinated state policy," she said. 

According to Grover, evidence is being collected and "once secured, it is shared with the appropriate institutions as and when required."

The human rights advocate noted that in the latest report presented on March 19 at a session of the UN Human Rights Council, the Commission concluded that "enforced disappearances as crimes against humanity have been committed by the Russian Federation."

"Regarding the crime against humanity of enforced disappearance, our investigations reveal that civilians have been held both in detention facilities in the occupied areas of Ukraine and in facilities within the Russian Federation. Some have been detained for months or even years; and some have died while being forcibly disappeared. During their detention, victims have been subjected to other grave violations, including sexual violence and torture," Grover said.

She noted that international law obliges any authority detaining individuals to inform their families about the fate and whereabouts of the detainees.

"However, our analysis of 280 letters indicates a consistent failure to meet this obligation. Families seeking information about their missing relatives often receive standard replies that fail to disclose the detainees' fate or location, despite occasional acknowledgments of detention by the Ministry of Defense. This pattern led us to conclude that enforced disappearances are being perpetrated as a deliberate policy, keeping victims beyond legal protection. Prisoners of war have also been victims of enforced disappearances," Grover said.

According to her, another key conclusion is the "widespread and systematic use of torture."

"In our October 2024 report to the General Assembly, we concluded that torture was being carried out as part of a coordinated state policy and constituted a crime against humanity. Our findings on this have been further confirmed as our investigations deepen, reaffirming that torture is being committed as a crime against humanity. Our investigations have also disclosed that the Federal Security Service (FSB) personnel, when present at detention facilities, not only exercised the highest authority but also both commit and order torture, which is particularly brutal during interrogations," Grover said.

The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine was established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2022. Its mandate is to investigate all alleged violations and abuses of human rights, breaches of international humanitarian law, and related crimes in the context of the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine. The Commission consists of Erik Mose (Chair), Pablo de Greiff, and Vrinda Grover.