The UN's independent international commission to investigate violations in Ukraine has discovered new evidence of the widespread practice of torture by the Russian authorities against Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war in the occupied Ukrainian territories and in the Russian Federation.
Points of attention
- The UN commission uncovered new evidence of the systematic use of torture by Russian authorities against Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war in occupied territories and the Russian Federation.
- The evidence points to the coordinated involvement of specific services of the Russian Federation in torture in all places of deprivation of liberty, indicating a systematic practice with a sense of impunity.
- The commission's findings reveal common elements in the use of torture, including violence and sexual abuse, demonstrating the systematic nature of these actions by the Russian occupiers.
- Investigations by the UN commission also documented attacks on civilian targets in populated areas of Ukraine, resulting in devastating consequences, including damage to medical facilities and residential buildings.
- Charges have been made against 11 Russian police officers for organizing a torture chamber in Kherson, demonstrating accountability for violations of laws and customs of war committed by a group of persons based on a prior conspiracy.
The UN announced new evidence against Russia in cases of torture of Ukrainians
The Commission reported this on September 23 in its latest update to the UN Human Rights Council.
The wide geographic coverage and widespread patterns of torture demonstrate that torture was carried out as a common and acceptable practice with a sense of impunity.
Further investigation by this UN commission into cases of torture proved that "the Russian authorities used torture in those regions of Ukraine that they took control of", and new evidence "confirms the Commission's previous conclusion that the torture committed by the Russian authorities was widespread".
The commission identified additional common elements in the use of torture by the Russian authorities, confirming previous findings about the systematic nature of these actions. One of these elements is the repeated practice of violent methods in prisons in the Russian Federation, where prisoners from Ukraine are held. This practice is observed in several large penitentiary institutions in the occupied territories of Ukraine. Another common element emerging from the evidence points to the coordinated involvement of employees of specific services of the Russian Federation in torture in all places of deprivation of liberty investigated by the Commission.
It is also noted that the systematic use of sexual violence mainly against men in the Russian Federation "is also used as a method of torture, which is observed in almost all the indicated places of deprivation of liberty."
In addition, the Commission took into account the testimony of former prisoners about prison staff in the Russian Federation. The evidence also shows that "in some places of deprivation of liberty, orders for ill-treatment were issued by senior officials of the Russian authorities, who either approved or failed to take measures to end such ill-treatment."
The commission also continued to document "attacks using explosive weapons against civilian targets in populated areas, resulting in devastating consequences." In particular, she investigated attacks that affected medical institutions, cultural facilities, residential buildings and supermarkets in the territories controlled by Ukraine.
Continuing its investigation into the Russian Federation's large-scale attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, some of which caused power outages and affected millions of citizens, the Commission uncovered new evidence of the impact of these attacks on the health and well-being of the population.
The UN Independent International Commission to Investigate Violations in Ukraine is an independent body tasked by the UN Human Rights Council, in particular, to investigate all alleged violations and abuses of human rights, violations of international humanitarian law and related crimes in the context of the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.
The general of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation and his subordinates were charged with organizing a torture chamber in Kherson
Under the procedural leadership of the Kherson Regional Prosecutor's Office, 11 Russian police officers were identified and notified in absentia of the suspicion.
All of them are charged with violations of the laws and customs of war, committed by a group of persons based on a prior conspiracy (part 5 of article 27, part 2 of article 28, part 1, 2 of article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
According to the investigation, in June 2022, employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation from various units were sent to the occupied territory of the Kherson region to ensure the occupation regime. In order to avoid responsibility, their personal data was changed.
In Kherson, a 47-year-old major-general of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation headed the illegally created "temporary administration of the Ministry of the Interior of Russia in the Kherson region." Two colonels of the Russian police became his deputies.
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