Since the beginning of the Russian aggression in Ukraine, the Russian armed forces have systematically used torture and related crimes such as enforced disappearances, incommunicado detention and extra-judicial execution. The Organisation Mondiale Contre la Torture (OMCT) is supporting the civilian population in Ukraine with its project to document these crimes and take legal action against the perpetrators. The focus is on securing evidence to bring these crimes up before a court.

OMCT effectively conducts monitoring and collaborates with a network of over 300 human rights organisations. The organisation is working in Ukraine to establish and develop the capacities for litigation as well as for the representation and support of torture victims. Cooperation with state and international institutions such as the Ukrainian General Prosecutor's Office and international bodies such as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights plays a key role. In this way, accountability for torture can be ensured in the long term and impunity can be combated.

With the help of its partners, OMCT developed a methodological framework in 2023 to better document cases of torture. This framework includes questionnaires for in-depth interviews, workshops, an expert assessment mission to Ukraine and joint on-site investigations. So far, the OMCT project has documented over 300 cases of torture and related crimes in Ukraine using this approach.