Ukraine invasion changed our minds on Nato – Finland

Dzhaparova accused Russia of torture, enforced disappearances and sexual violenceImage caption: Dzhaparova accused Russia of torture, enforced disappearances and sexual violence

WARNING: This post contains details some readers may find distressing

More now from a UN Human Rights Council emergency session in Geneva, which is examining evidence of violations in Ukraine.

Speaking by videolink from Kyiv, Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzhaparova said the people of her country had faced “10 weeks of sheer horror”, AFP reports.

“Torture and enforced disappearances, sexual and gender-based violence – the list of Russia’s crimes is endless,” she said.

Dzhaparova held up a picture featuring black lines which she said had been drawn by an 11-year-old boy who had been raped in front of his mother and now communicates only through drawing. The BBC is not able to verify this account.

The UN body’s monitoring mission visited Ukraine last week. As we reported earlier, human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said 1,000 civilian bodies had been found in the Kyiv region , some of which appeared to have been summarily executed.

She also spoke of civilians who died because of stress to their health and lack of medical aid. This includes a case the BBC reported on, in Yahidne village in Chernihiv, where she says 360 residents, including 74 children and 5 persons with disabilities, were forced by Russian forces to stay for 28 days in a school basement. It was so overcrowded people could not lie down. Ten older people died, she says.

The UN General Assembly voted in April to suspend Russia from the Council and it immediately withdrew. It could have attended this session as an observer, but its chair was empty.

Later today, the council will vote on whether to set up an official UN inquiry to look specifically at violations in the Kyiv region.

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

Protesters outside the session highlighted the plight of the southern Ukrainian city of MariupolImage caption: Protesters outside the session highlighted the plight of the southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol