Mr O’Flaherty visited the country from 17 to 21 March, during which he focussed on placing human rights at the heart of the discussions towards peace.

During his visit, Mr O’Flaherty expressed concern over Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, including bombardment, mass displacement, and human suffering on an unimaginable scale. He called for the inclusion of human rights as important guiding principles to any peace discussions.

The commissioner stressed that all perpetrators of gross violations of human rights and war crimes must be brought to justice. He expressed support for the Council of Europe’s contribution to initiatives on criminal accountability and justice mechanisms such as the Register of Damage for Ukraine or the ongoing work towards the establishment of a special tribunal to address the crime of aggression against Ukraine and a claims commission. He called for continued support for Ukraine’s national capacity to prosecute and try war criminals and for the investigations carried out by the International Criminal Court.

He reiterated that Russia’s continued aggression against Ukraine is an attack on the whole of Europe and the core values shared by all members of the Council of Europe. He observed that the EU accession pathway carries with it human rights obligations as also should any peace agreement, and that these two important sets of commitments will need to be aligned and cross-referenced.

“The path to peace must be grounded in human rights, justice, accountability, and an unwavering commitment to human dignity”, said Mr O’Flaherty.