- On 30 August, we marked the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances. The European Union reaffirms its strong commitment to the prevention and eradication of involuntary or enforced disappearances, as well as to combatting impunity for those responsible for, or complicit in, such crimes.
- Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine remains a stark reminder of the continued use of this brutal practice as documented on multiple occasions. Most recently, the 2025 report of the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry concluded that Russian authorities committed enforced disappearances and torture as part of a widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population amounting to crimes against humanity. This adds to the long list of documentation on the matter, including the OSCE Moscow Mechanism reports. We strongly condemn such practices, including so-called ‘filtration camps’, and the enforced disappearances and persecution of Crimean Tatars in the illegally annexed Crimean Peninsula as grave violations of international law. We stand firm in demanding that those responsible are held to account.
- Our OSCE commitments and international obligations are clear: any form of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment are unequivocally prohibited, under all circumstances, without exceptions. With the adoption of the 2020 Ministerial Council Decision on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, participating States recognised enforced disappearances as a serious human rights violation in the OSCE area.
- In this regard, the EU reiterates its call on the Belarusian authorities for a complete and transparent investigation into all alleged violations and abuses of human rights, including the reports of enforced disappearances in the aftermath of the 2020 fraudulent presidential elections. Furthermore, the EU remains seriously concerned about the fate of people subjected to enforced disappearances in Turkmenistan. We reiterate our strong call on Turkmenistan to immediately acknowledge and address this scourge, and take action on the outstanding cases. All individuals, including civil society and opposition actors, must be protected from such criminal acts.
- We have to ensure that all persons in vulnerable situations are protected against enforced disappearances. To this end, we welcome the holding of the first World Congress on Enforced Disappearances earlier this year, which brought together States, international organisations, and civil society to advance a comprehensive response to this grave violation.
- In light of persisting challenges, we encourage all participating States to strongly consider ratifying the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, to cooperate fully with the UN Committee and the Working Group on Enforced Disappearances and to take concrete measures to prevent enforced disappearances. This includes investigating effectively all allegations of enforced disappearances, bringing perpetrators to justice and providing redress to the victims and their families
EU Statement on the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances
As delievered at the 1533th meeting of The Permanent Council to the OSCE, Vienna, 11 September.