'All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.'
– Article One, The UN Declaration of Human Rights
The European Parliament has passed a resolution on Thursday (15 December) that recognizes the 1932-1933 famine in Ukraine, known as the Holodomor, as genocide. This was backed by an overwhelming majority of votes, with 507 in favour, 12 against, and 17 abstentions. The resolution also draws a comparison between this event and the current crimes perpetrated by Russia in Ukraine, and urges all governments and organisations to recognise the Holodomor as genocide.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned on Thursday (15 December) that the ongoing attacks on Ukraine's infrastructure could cause a significant decline in living conditions and an increase in displaced people.
Millions of people are without heating, clean water or electricity as temperatures plummet. Some 18 million people are already dependent on government assistance or humanitarian aid in Ukraine.
Border police forces along the European Union's external borders in Bulgaria, Hungary and Croatia are keeping migrants in secret detention centres without providing access to asylum applications, food, water, or toilets. According to research by the non-profit Dutch-based journalism collective, Lighthouse Reports in collaboration with several European newspapers, these actions are in violation of human rights and constitute torture. The migrants detained are not registered anywhere. They are also not given the opportunity to apply for asylum.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, embarked on a four-day visit to Ukraine on Sunday (4 December), arriving there at the invitation of the Ukrainian government.
Türk will be making stops in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Izyum and Uzhhorod to meet with both national and regional government officials and civil society, as well as the families of missing civilians and captured soldiers, among others.
Türk will hold a news conference in Kyiv at the end of his mission, on Wednesday (7 December) at around 13:00 hours local time.
On Sunday (23 Oct), multiple activists and politicians in Kyrgyzstan were arrested for their resistance to a government plan to hand over a major water reservoir to Uzbekistan as part of a border demarcation deal. Among the detained was opposition politician Ravshan Jeenbekov, who is also the founder of Next TV.