2023-12-19 11:48:45
The UN Human Rights Office has documented at least 100 deaths of civilians in Russian custody in the Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine, including on the Crimean peninsula, which was annexed in violation of international law.
In at least 39 cases there were signs that they were tortured before their death, reported the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, on Tuesday in Geneva. He was referring to a new report from his team on the situation in Ukraine.
The numbers given by Türk referred to the entire period since the start of the Russian war of aggression once morest Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
“Torture and other cruel treatment are widespread in detention centers in the Russian-occupied territories,” said Türk. “Many of the cases of torture we document include sexual violence.”
Russia does not allow the UN Human Rights Office teams into prison camps in the occupied territories, which is why documentation is difficult. Arbitrary arrests are the order of the day there. The teams would not be able to see Ukrainian prisoners of war. The families also heard nothing from their relatives.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has commented on the situation in the Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine. (archive image)
Salvatore Di Nolfi/KEYSTONE/dpa
The office is investigating six cases of Russian soldiers allegedly killing civilians in the occupied territories, Türk said. Russia has announced the arrest of two soldiers who are said to have killed a family of nine in the Donetsk region. Another Russian investigation is apparently underway. Türk reported that Russia sometimes forces Ukrainians in the occupied territories to fight in the Russian military once morest their own people.
By the end of November, there had been around 8,600 charges of collaboration once morest residents of occupied or liberated territories in Ukraine. There were verdicts in 941 cases. In many cases, people apparently only kept schools, social services or similar things running, said Türk. That is not a crime. Türk called on the Ukrainian authorities to narrow the definition of “collaboration”.
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