The UN Security Council will discuss the treatment of Ukrainians held captive in Russia
The UN Security Council will hold an informal meeting on Monday dedicated to Ukrainians held captive by Russia. Participants will discuss the treatment of prisoners of war and civilians, violations of international law, and the recruitment of foreigners into the Russian army.
On Monday, August 10, the UN Security Council will hold an informal meeting under the Arria formula. The main topic will be Russia’s treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian captives. The meeting is being organized by Latvia and the United Kingdom. A Ukrainian delegation will join the discussion.
Participants are expected to hear testimony from people with firsthand knowledge of Russian captivity. Among the speakers will be Claudia Fuentes Julio, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights. Crimean Tatar human rights activist Leniye Umerova will also speak. She herself was illegally detained by Russia after attempting to enter occupied Crimea in December 2022.
Junior Sergeant Juan Alberto Leyva García of the Ukrainian Armed Forces will also join the discussion. In 2022, he defended Mariupol, after which he was taken prisoner by Russia. In total, he spent more than three years in captivity. Another participant will be Oleg Gushchin, a Ukrainian lawyer and legal expert with the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.
Among the invitees is also British-Turkish-Iranian documentary filmmaker Sheida Kiran. During the session, participants will discuss the conditions under which Ukrainian military personnel and civilians are being held in Russia. They will also specifically address potential violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights standards.
Another topic is the recruitment of foreign citizens into the Russian armed forces. This refers to the involvement of foreigners in the war against Ukraine. The session will begin at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. It will be 5:00 p.m. in Kyiv at that time.
What Is the Arria Formula?
The Arria Formula is an informal format for UN Security Council meetings. It was established in 1992 at the initiative of Venezuelan diplomat Diego Arria. This format differs from official Security Council meetings. It allows Security Council members to speak with officials, experts, human rights defenders, and witnesses without the rigid constraints of official protocol.
It is precisely because of this format that people who have directly experienced events that have become the subject of international discussion can be invited to the meetings. This time, the focus will be on the situation of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians held captive by Russia, as well as possible violations of their rights. This was reported by the UN Security Council Secretariat.
Denmark, which holds the presidency of the UN Security Council in August, plans to push for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine. The country also intends to keep the issue of Russian aggression among the Security Council’s top priorities.
