On December 17, the United Nations General Assembly adopted its annual resolution titled “The Human Rights Situation in the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine, Including the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol,” aimed at safeguarding the rights of people affected by Russia’s occupation.

Since 2023, this resolution has extended its scope beyond occupied Crimea to include all Ukrainian territories seized by Russia.

The resolution highlights systematic human rights violations in the occupied territories, including the persecution of Crimean Tatars, pressure on pro-Ukrainian activists, journalists, and members of religious minorities. It also condemns Russia’s actions involving the forced deportation of Ukrainian children, including their illegal adoption or transfer into custody. The UN calls on Russia to immediately and unconditionally return all forcibly displaced children to Ukraine.

The resolution specifically mentions the names of political prisoners such as Emir-Usein Kuku, Halyna Dovhopola, Server Mustafaiev, Vladyslav Yesypenko, Asan ta Aziz Akhtemovy, Iryna Danylovych, Bohdan Ziza, Enver Krosh, Vilen Temerianov, Mariano Harsiia Kalataiud. This year, the list was expanded to include the names Seiran Saliiev, Oleh Prykhodko, and Osman Arifmemetov.

Furthermore, this document marks the first UN resolution in which the General Assembly explicitly refers to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine as a “war of aggression against Ukraine.”

Ukraine continues to work tirelessly on the international stage to protect the rights of its citizens suffering under occupation and to ensure justice for victims of crimes and aggression perpetrated by the Russian Federation.