UN report: Ukrainian and Russian prisoners of war are tortured

Ukrainian and Russian prisoners of war are subjected to torture, according to a UN report on this issue.

Since February 24, 2022, human rights activists have interviewed 377 Ukrainian prisoners of war, including 24 women, released from Russian captivity. As well as 434 Russian prisoners of war who are still in Ukrainian prisons. The report was compiled based on a survey of fighters.

From a survey of Ukrainian military personnel, it follows that the Russian authorities subjected them to “large-scale and systematic torture and cruel treatment.” Ukrainians held captive by the Russians describe brutal beatings, electric shocks, sexual assault, strangulation, prolonged exposure to stressful positions, forced excessive physical exertion, sleep deprivation, mock executions, threats of violence and humiliation. Such information was provided by 169 out of 174 Ukrainians surveyed since March 2023.

Many of the documented cases of torture or ill-treatment were associated with Russian government agencies. Based on this, the UN concludes that there were “a high level of coordination between them and the awareness of the heads of the institutions where the prisoners were kept.”

The UN also records cruel treatment of Russian prisoners by the Ukrainian authorities. It is indicated that it happened “during the initial stages of their captivity, including severe beatings, threats of death and physical violence, and, to a lesser extent, electric shock.” Information about torture was provided by 104 out of 205 Russian military personnel interviewed since March 2023.

“However, in almost all cases, torture and ill-treatment ceased when prisoners arrived at official internment sites, where conditions generally met international standards,” – says the UN report.

It should be emphasized that Russian prisoners gave this information while in a Ukrainian prison, which could have influenced their testimony. While Ukrainians complained about torture in Russia, having already been released.

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