In a scheduled update mandated by the Council in Geneva, Nada Al-Nashif said that these attacks had led to the deaths of 574 civilians – an increase of 30 per cent over the previous year.

She noted that Russian bombardment had also damaged key infrastructure such as water, heating and transport services, with several major attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

Russia accuses Ukraine of ‘terrorist acts’

The Russian delegation at the Council rejected the Deputy High Commissioner’s allegations and accused Ukrainian forces of carrying out “terrorist acts on homes in various Russian regions”.

The Ukrainian representative condemned ongoing deadly attacks by Russian forces; one on New Year’s Eve involved 100 drones that left two dead and seven injured, including two pregnant women in the capital, Kyiv.

Ms. Al Nashif also warned of “increasing, gross violations of international human rights law and serious violations of humanitarian law, including possible war crimes”.

And she said that Ukrainian prisoners of war, “both men and women, described widespread and systematic torture … severe beatings, electric shocks, strangulation and prolonged solitary confinement. Most reported being subjected to sexual violence, including rape and forced nudity”.

Credible allegations of executions

“I am deeply concerned by a significant increase in credible allegations of executions of Ukrainian military personnel captured by Russian armed forces. Summary executions constitute a war crime. The Office recorded 62 such executions in 19 separate incidents during the reporting period and verified 5 of these incidents…”

Ms. Al Nashif also noted that Russian prisoners of war held by Ukraine reported being subjected to torture, severe beatings, sexual violence and dog attacks, mostly in places of transit before reaching official places of internment.

According to the UN monitoring mission in Ukraine, since February 2022, conflict there has killed more than 12,300 civilians, including more than 650 children, with at least 27,800 injured.

Over 700 medical facilities and 1,500 schools and colleges have also been damaged or destroyed.

Commissioner Hanny Megally led the team, which met with officials, including in the Ministries of Justice and Foreign Affairs.

Discussions covered justice for victims and families, the protection of mass graves and evidence, and continued engagement with the Commission, which was established by the UN Human Rights Council in August 2011.

Willingness to engage

Mr. Megally welcomed the willingness of the new authorities to continue engaging with the Commission on future visits.

This marks a significant shift as the former government had denied the Commission access since the start of its mandate.

“We commend the new authorities for improving the protection of mass graves and evidence in detention centres, and encourage them to pursue these efforts further, also by utilizing relevant Syrian civil society organizations and international actors,” he said.

Accountability for abuses

The Commission visited Damascus and surrounding areas, including detention centres that have been a focus of its investigations, as well as mass grave sites.

“Standing in tiny, windowless cells, still filled with stench and marked by unimaginable suffering, was a stark reminder of the harrowing accounts we have documented over nearly 14 years of investigations,” said Mr. Megally.

“These abuses must never be repeated again and those responsible must be held accountable.”

Renewed sense of optimism

In meetings with Syrians, including those returning after years of exile, Mr. Megally noted a renewed sense of optimism and eagerness to participate in a new Syria built on respecting human rights.

The Commission was informed that barriers to civil society engagement, such as the registration of organizations, have eased and it looks forward to the expansion of civic space, which is much needed.

Moreover, discussions with civil society and humanitarian organisations underscored the urgent need for international support to ensure a successful transition. 

In this regard, Mr. Megally emphasized the importance of facilitating efforts toward rebuilding, including the suspension of sectoral sanctions imposed on the former authorities.

Relief and hope

“There is a clear sense of relief among Syrians. After decades of oppressive rule, fear has been lifted, and a new sense of freedom is palpable,” he said, noting that people spoke about holding their heads high for the first time in decades. 

“As someone who investigated massacres in Syria in the 1980’s, I deeply understand how long Syrians have waited for this moment,” he continued.

“Though the time ahead is filled with challenges, we are hopeful that Syrians will come together to build the country to which they have always aspired.”

About the Commission

The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic was established to investigate all alleged violations of international human rights law in the country since March 2011, when conflict erupted following a brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protests.

It consists of three Commissioners who are not UN staff and do not receive payment for their work. 

The ICC issued arrest warrants in November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Go here to read our analysis of the decision and the likely next steps, and here for our ICC explainer. 

Asked by reporters at the regular noon briefing if the UN chief had a view on the Congressional bill, Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said that although he would not comment on individual laws, “we do have a principled position…And that is, while it is independent from the Secretariat, the Secretary-General has great respect for the Court and for the work of the International Criminal Court, which is in itself a very important pillar of international justice.”

The experts – Margaret Satterthwaite, Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers; Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and George Katrougalos, Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order – outlined their concerns in a statement.

A ‘shocking’ move

They are dismayed by the passage of an Act in the US House of Representatives on Thursday which sanctions the ICC for its decision. The Court also issued an arrest warrant for a former Hamas commander alongside the others.

“It is shocking to see a country that considers itself a champion of the rule of law trying to stymie the actions of an independent and impartial tribunal set up by the international community, to thwart accountability,” the experts said.

“Threats against the ICC promote a culture of impunity. They make a mockery of the decades-long quest to place law above force and atrocity,” they warned.

The experts have written to the US authorities about their concerns.

​ICC promotes accountability 

The ICC was established under a 1998 treaty known as the Rome Statute. The US is not a party to the statute, along with dozens of other nations, but 125 countries are members of the Court.

It has the mandate to investigate and prosecute individuals for the grave international crimes of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. It is based in the Hague, in the Netherlands.

The experts recalled that the ICC is the legacy of the Nuremberg trials which brought Nazi leaders to account ​and the commitment ​to never allow ​heinous ​crimes, such as those committed during the Second World War, to go ​​unpunished. 

“The tireless work of brave legal professionals at the ICC is the main driver for accountability. The work of its prosecutors becomes the foundation upon which our efforts to uphold the integrity of the system of international law is resting,” they said.

Respect for legal professionals

They called upon all State Parties to the ICC, and all UN Member States in General, to observe and respect international standards as it relates to legal professionals working towards accountability for the most grave international crimes.

“International standards provide that lawyers and justice personnel should be able to perform all of their professional functions without intimidation, hindrance, harassment or improper interference; and should not suffer, or be threatened with, prosecution or administrative, economic or other sanctions ​​for any action taken in accordance with recognised professional duties, standards and ethics,” they explained.

‘A blind spot for justice’

They said the bill, titled the ‘Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act’, would take effect 60 days after enactment.

It would sanction any individual working to investigate, arrest, detain or prosecute American citizens or an official from an allied US country, including Israel. Any US funds designated for the ICC would also be rescinded, and any future money for the Court would be prohibited. 

The experts said imposing sanctions on justice personnel for fulfilling their professional responsibilities is “a blatant violation of human rights” that strikes at the core of judicial independence and the rule of law.

“The passage of a bill that creates a blind spot for justice regarding certain countries not only legalises double standards and impunity but irreparably undermines the spirit of universality that the international justice system is built upon,” they said. 

“Such actions erode public trust in the impartiality and integrity of justice and set a dangerous precedent, politicising judicial functions and weakening the global commitment to accountability and fairness,” they added. 

Uphold judicial independence

They warned that if carried out, the sanctions would appear to amount to offences against the administration of justice under Article 70 of the Rome Statute, which punishes efforts to impede or intimidate an official of the Court or to retaliate against them on account of their official duties.  

“We urge US lawmakers to uphold the rule of law and the independence of judges and lawyers, and we call on States to respect the Court’s independence as a judicial institution and protect the independence and impartiality of those who work within the Court,” they said.

About UN experts

Special Rapporteurs and Independent Experts receive their mandates from the UN Human Rights Council, which is based in Geneva.

They work on a voluntary basis, are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work.

The experts are independent of any government or organisation and serve in their individual capacity. 

“Allowing hate speech and harmful content online has real world consequences. Regulating this content is not censorship,” Volker Türk wrote on X.

In a longer LinkedIn post on the same theme, Mr. Türk maintained that labelling efforts to create safe online spaces as “censorship…ignore[s] the fact that unregulated space means some people are silenced – in particular those whose voices are often marginalized. At the same time, allowing hatred online limits free expression and may result in real world harms.”

Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg announced last Tuesday that the company would cease its fact-checking programme in the United States, stating that fact-checkers ran the risk of appearing politically biased, with self-regulation resulting in too much censorship. He called for a return to freer speech on Meta’s platforms, adding that user’s trust had been eroded.

The International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) has reportedly rejected Mr. Zuckerberg’s “false” argument and warned it could cause harm.

Digital potential

Mr. Türk highlighted that social media platforms have a tremendous ability to shape society positively by connecting people. But they can also fuel conflict, incite hate and threaten people’s safety.

“At its best, social media is a place where people with divergent views can exchange, if not always agree,” he said.

The UN human rights chief noted that he would continue to call for “accountability and governance in the digital space, in line with human rights. This safeguards public discourse, builds trust, and protects the dignity of all.”

When asked about the impact of Meta’s recent decisions on the social media policy of the United Nations, a UN spokesperson in Geneva emphasized that the global organization continually monitors and evaluates the online space.

“It remains crucial for us to be present with fact-based information,” said Michele Zaccheo, Chief of TV, Radio and Webcast. He added that the UN remained committed to providing evidence-based information on social media platforms.

The World Health Organization (WHO) also reaffirmed its commitment to providing quality, science-based health information, maintaining a presence across various online platforms.

In response to the growing crisis fueled by digital misinformation, the UN Department of Global Communications (DCG) has been actively working to combat false narratives.

This includes developing a code of conduct for information integrity, known as the UN Global Principles for Information Integrity.

Thirteen civilians were killed, and 110 injured, when two aerial bombs struck an industrial facility in the southern city.

This marks the largest number of casualties HRMMU has recorded since a residential building in Dnipro city was struck on 14 January 2023, and the deadliest since a supermarket in Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region, was hit on 9 August 2024. 

Killed leaving work

Monitors visited the site of the Zaporizhzhia attack, documenting the damage and interviewing victims and witnesses. They observed damage to the industrial facility and to buildings, vehicles and the road outside. 

The attack took place in the afternoon when many workers at the facility were leaving at the end of their shift. Many of the victims, both workers at the plant and passersby, were killed or injured in the street or on public transportation.

A rising threat

The HRMMU is underscoring the danger posed to civilians from the use of aerial bombs in populated areas in Ukraine.

Mission chief Danielle Bell said aerial glide bombs have become one of the greatest threats to people in cities along the frontline. 

“They are also one of the main reasons why the number of killed and injured in 2024 increased by 30 per cent compared with 2023,” she added.

Spike in deaths

Latest HRMMU verified data, published on Thursday, reveals that at least 2,064 civilians were killed and 9,089 injured in 2024.

The numbers are up from 2023, when 1,971 people were killed and 6,626 injured – a rise in large part due to Russia’s increased use of aerial glide bombs.

Aerial bombs accounted for 360 of those killed and 1,861 of the injured last year, representing a threefold increase in fatalities and sixfold increase in injuries compared to 2023.

Aerial bomb modifications

The HRMMU explained that the increase in the number of civilian casualties from aerial bombs in 2024 is the result of modifications that allow these weapons to glide instead of falling, thus extending their range to include cities further from the frontline such as Kharkiv, Sumy and Zaporizhzhia.

The Mission documented civilian casualties from such glide bombs for the first time in Kharkiv city in early 2024, in Sumy city and region that August, and in Zaporizhzhia city the following month.

Furthermore, since 22 September, aerial glide bombs have killed at least 35 civilians and injured 308 in Zaporizhzhia city, accounting for 78 per cent of casualties there. 

Other significant attacks with aerial glide bombs in the city include one on 6 December 2024, when 10 civilians were killed and 27 injured, including three children, and on 7 November 2024 when nine civilians were killed and 42 injured.

Foreseeable consequences

The HRMMU recalled that under international humanitarian law, an attacking party must take all feasible precautions to minimize civilian harm, and Wednesday’s attack has raised serious concerns in this regard.

“It was entirely foreseeable that using such weapons in a city during the day would result in significant civilian casualties,” said Ms. Bell. “It is hard to see how this attack could be in compliance with the obligation to minimize civilian harm.”