New Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights announces his visit to Ukraine

The department reported that O'Flaherty begins his six-year term today and promises to center human rights on the agenda of Council of Europe member states during this term.

O'Flaherty himself also announced his intention to make his first visit as commissioner to Ukraine.

"I can think of nothing more urgent than addressing the human rights consequences of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which has caused terrible human suffering and destruction," he said.

O'Flaherty was elected by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in January 2024. He became the fifth Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe and replaced Dunja Mijatović (2018-2024) in this position. The Commissioner's mandate lasts six years and is not subject to renewal.

Previously, O'Flaherty served as the Director of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, a member of the UN Human Rights Committee, and the Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.

Recently, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry of the UN published a report on violations in Ukraine.

The Commission's report focused on cases of torture of Ukrainian prisoners of war and described the horrific treatment of them in several places of detention in the Russian Federation.

The report notes that the Russian authorities, in order to obtain information, tortured civilians suspected of cooperating with the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In the case of prisoners of war, torture was also used for punishment and intimidation.

The International Commission identified similar torture methods in different places of detention. Together, these elements confirm that the Russian authorities systematically employed torture.