This event took place on 23 June at the Asser Institute. Registration for this event is now closed. Below, you can find more information about the event.
Sexual violence in conflict is systematically underreported — especially when the victims are men. This panel discussion brings to light one of the least visible dimensions of Russia's war against Ukraine: the deliberate use of sexual violence against male detainees as a weapon of war.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for this important discussion.
International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR) and Truth Hounds presented their report, Truth Beneath Silence: Russia's Weaponisation of Sexual Violence Against Men in Ukraine, based on 212 cases of Ukrainian men detained across five oblasts who were subjected to sexual violence during their detention.
The report documents evidence of a widespread network of detention facilities established by Russian forces in occupied Ukrainian territories, where torture and sexual violence against men were systematically carried out. It examines how sexual violence has been used on an unprecedented scale as a weapon of war, aimed at breaking the civilian population and suppressing resistance.
Panelists discussed the importance of recognising, documenting, and prosecuting CRSV against men as a serious international crime; ensuring survivor-centred, trauma-informed, and internationally coordinated accountability efforts; and maintaining sustained international commitment to investigations, prosecutions, reparations, and psychosocial support.
The event concluded with a clear message: conflict-related sexual violence against men is a central element of Russia's campaign of repression in occupied Ukraine and must no longer remain invisible. Justice requires continued documentation, accountability, and comprehensive support for survivors.
If you were unable to attend, you can learn more by reading the report Truth Beneath Silence: Russia's Weaponisation of Sexual Violence Against Men in Ukraine and watch the recording of the discussion (see below).
Report authors:
Speakers
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Andriy KOSTIN, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Kingdom of the Netherlands
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Laimonas TALAT-KELPŠA, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Lithuania to the Kingdom of the Netherlands
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Kate Orlovsky, Director, Hague Office, International Bar Association
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Andrii Latsyba, Legal Counsel, Truth Hounds
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Mariam Bezhanishvili, Senior Legal Officer, IPHR
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Anna Sosonska, Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine
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Dr Ewelina U. Ochab, Senior Programme Lawyer, IBAHRI
Moderator
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Gabrielė Chlevickaitė, Senior researcher T.M.C. Asser Instituut
