Czech Republic supports the invocation of the OSCE Moscow Mechanism to investigate the treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war
25.07.2025 / 11:25 | Aktualizováno: 25.07.2025 / 14:21
On 24 July 2025, the Czech Republic, together with 40 other OSCE participating States, supported the invocation of the so-called Moscow Mechanism. This step responds to credible and repeated reports of serious violations of the rights of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) by the Russian Federation, including systematic torture, ill-treatment, and extrajudicial executions. These findings have been documented by the UN, the OSCE/OCIHR, and other international bodies. The invocation letter highlights concerns that the treatment of Ukrainian POWs may constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity. The expert mission will aim to establish facts, determine whether these violations form part of a systematic pattern, and provide recommendations regarding possible accountability mechanisms.
The Moscow Mechanism, adopted at the 1991 OSCE Conference on the Human Dimension in Moscow, allows for the launch of an investigation without consensus and independently of the OSCE Chairmanship, institutions, or decision-making bodies, if at least ten participating States consider that a particularly serious threat to the fulfilment of OSCE human dimension commitments has arisen in another participating State. It enables the deployment of an independent mission of experts, which can also operate from outside the country concerned if access is denied, using credible external sources.
The Moscow Mechanism was previously invoked in relation to the Russian Federation in 2022, 2023 and 2024. In all cases, the independent expert missions confirmed serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law committed by the Russian Federation, including the arbitrary detention of civilians, deportation of children, and systematic abuse in occupied areas of Ukraine.
The full statement on the 24 July 2025 invocation is available here:
Joint Statement on the Invocation of the OSCE Moscow Mechanism – GOV.UK