According to a United Nations report released on Tuesday, Russian authorities have engaged in “widespread” and “systematic” torture of civilian detainees in the Ukrainian regions they occupy, including instances of sexual violence.
The UN Human Rights Office’s findings indicate that since Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, there have been consistent patterns of severe breaches of international law concerning Ukrainian civilian detainees.
Danielle Bell, head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, informed reporters in Geneva that Russia has detained a significant number of Ukrainian civilians. She reported that Ukraine’s chief prosecutor documented over 15,000 civilian detentions conducted by Russian forces, with a minimum of 1,800 individuals still held in custody.
“This figure should be seen as the absolute minimum,” she noted, emphasizing that a pivotal conclusion of the report was the “systematic and widespread torture and mistreatment of detained Ukrainian civilians by Russian authorities.”
The report disclosed that UN investigators had spoken with 216 civilians who were released from captivity in the occupied areas since June 2023. Of those interviewed, 92% provided consistent and detailed descriptions of the torture or mistreatment they endured while detained.
Described methods of torture included severe beatings with various instruments such as batons and sticks, electric shocks to multiple body parts, and mock executions. Many victims reported experiencing threats of death and violence against themselves or family members, along with various humiliating treatment and “stress positions.”
The investigation documented that 90 Ukrainian civilians were extrajudicially executed while in Russian detention, with another 38 having reportedly died due to torture or mistreatment, appalling living conditions, or lack of necessary medical care.
The report highlighted that Russia’s frequent neglect of legal protections, alongside a serious lack of accountability, has placed many Ukrainian civilians beyond the effective legal protection during their detention.
UN human rights chief Volker Turk pointed out that individuals have been arbitrarily arrested off the streets in occupied regions, charged under ever-changing legal grounds, and held for extended periods stretching from days to months and even years.
He emphasized the importance of prioritizing the human rights of civilian detainees who have been severely affected by this conflict in any peace negotiations.
The report also noted “incidents of torture and ill-treatment” of civilians detained by Ukrainian authorities. As of late July, Ukraine had over 2,250 detainees related to the conflict in official pre-trial and prison facilities, predominantly Ukrainian nationals, with only a small number being Russian.
Out of the 409 conflict-related civilian detainees surveyed for the report, 117 provided credible accounts of torture and ill-treatment while in Ukrainian custody, most of which reportedly occurred in 2022.
The findings indicated that Ukraine had detained many of its citizens on national security charges, including treason and espionage, and some faced charges relating to collaboration with the Russian occupying forces, even for everyday tasks such as providing emergency services, construction work, humanitarian aid, and garbage collection during the occupation.
