OSCE: Report on Possible Violations and Abuses of International Humanitarian and Human Rights Law, War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity, Related to the Treatment of Ukrainian POWs by the Russian Federation
On 24 July 2025, 41 OSCE participating States, after consultation with Ukraine, invoked the Moscow Mechanism under paragraph 8 of the Moscow Document, which allows participating States to request a mission of experts to address human rights violations and breaches of humanitarian law within a participating state. On 15 August 2025 a mission of experts was established to investigate the treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) by the Russian Federation and to examine possible violations of OSCE commitments, international humanitarian law (IHL) and international human rights law (IHRL), including possible cases of war crimes and crimes against humanity, related to this treatment.
The OSCE Moscow Mechanism mission of experts presented their final report to the OSCE Permanent Council on 25 September 2025. In view of the extensive documentation of violations against POWs, the Mission concluded that the Russian Federation has engaged in widespread and systematic violations of IHL and IHRL in its treatment of Ukrainian POWs, including arbitrary killings, torture, ill-treatment, denial of fair trial rights, and unsafe detention and transfer conditions. These violations constitute war crimes and, in some cases, crimes against humanity. The Mission’s report underscored the urgent need for accountability, reparations and continued international monitoring to ensure respect for the rights of Ukrainian POWs and respect for international law.
In light of these conclusions, the Mission formulated a set of recommendations to the Russian Federation to immediately recognize Ukrainian detainees as POWs, cease arbitrary executions and all forms of torture or ill-treatment directed against Ukrainian POWs, ensure humane detention conditions for them, and grant the International Committee of the Red Cross full and unfettered access to all detention facilities.