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Seizing Power: Rosatom's Complicity in Occupation, Torture, and Nuclear Safety Breaches at the Zaporizhzhia NPP
“I have read the Truth Hounds’ research ‘Seizing power’. It is difficult to surprise us with the way Russia treats people. But still, this was very depressing reading – when it comes to what people under occupation have to endure. It is something that leaves no one indifferent.”
– from the opening remarks of Carl Hallergård, EU Ambassador to the International Organisations in Vienna, at the presentation of the Truth Hounds’ research in Vienna on 24 September.
Truth Hounds presented the research “Seizing power” at the Vienna International Centre, in cooperation with the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the International Organisations in Vienna and the Delegation of the European Union to the International Organisations in Vienna. The event was attended by representatives of EU Member States, diplomats from the delegations of Australia, Chile, Peru, Morocco, Ghana and Pakistan, as well as officials from the IAEA Secretariat.
Following the presentation, Ambassador Carl Hallergård commented on cooperation with Rosatom:
“It is a dependency that we are now trying to get rid of. But it is not easy, and this is part of the challenge of introducing sanctions. We are on the way to this.”
He also emphasised that efforts are under way to hold accountable those responsible for violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, both through the Special Tribunal initiated by Ukraine and at the level of individual states.
Rostyslav Palahusynets, Deputy Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the International Organisations in Vienna, stated that the world must reduce its global dependence on Rosatom’s technologies, and that Rosatom’s influence inside the IAEA must also be limited:
“That means diversifying supply chains, strengthening cooperation with responsible partners, and expanding sanctions against Rosatom and its subsidiaries. Allowing the company responsible for the gravest nuclear safety crisis in history to shape the policies of the IAEA undermines its very mission.”
This research was compiled with the support of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, the European Union, and the Norwegian Helsinki Committee. We deeply appreciate the commitment and contribution of our partners: Project Expedite Justice, Greenpeace Ukraine, and the Association of Relatives of Political Prisoners of the Kremlin.
In his speech, Rostyslav Palahusynets further emphasised that the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) must be returned to full Ukrainian control:
“…Until this happens, there should be the possibility of a temporary international control mechanism under the stewardship of the IAEA. This could reduce the immediate nuclear risks posed by Russia’s illegal occupation, and ensure transparency, and protect the rights and safety of the plant’s staff.”
We would like to thank for their participation: Rostyslav Palahusynets, Deputy Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the International Organisations in Vienna; Ambassador Carl Hallergård, Permanent Representative of the EU; Mr Oleh Korikov, Chief State Inspector for Nuclear and Radiation Safety of Ukraine; and Mr Shaun Burnie, Senior Nuclear Specialist with Greenpeace Ukraine.