Russia Conducts Widespread Torture and Abuse of Ukrainian Civilian Detainees and POWs, UN Reports

The 26th of June marked the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. The Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) works on preventing torture, documenting violations, and holding the guilty accountable. 

The HRMMU was deployed in 2014 and has the goal of monitoring and issuing public reports on human rights conditions, aiming to strengthen human rights protection and ensure accountability for those responsible for human rights abuses. 

Since February 2022, HRMMU interviewed over 600 released Ukrainian civilian detainees and prisoners of war (POWs), including those who were freed from Russian captivity on 31 May. 

In line with earlier findings, each participant in this recent exchange has recounted instances of torture, ranging from severe beatings and prolonged stress positions to electric shocks applied to genitals and attacks by dogs.

“Torture was applied to whole groups of prisoners. For example, in a so-called “admission procedure” to a facility located in the Russian Federation, POWs had to walk between rows of guards who beat them with police batons or tasered them. Exhausting physical exercises and humiliation, such as forcing POWs to memorize and sing Russian patriotic songs, also continued to be part of the daily routines,” United Nations Ukraine reported in a press release.

Numerous interviewed detainees, who were exchanged, reported enduring constant hunger while in captivity, along with prolonged deprivation of adequate medical care and poor hygiene. These conditions frequently resulted in significant weight loss and the onset of skin diseases among POWs, even losing teeth. These accounts were consistent with the observations made by HRMMU, where the physical state of the interviewees corroborated their testimonies.

“International humanitarian law reflects fundamental values that even amid the horror of war aim to preserve our humanity”, said the head of HRMMU Danielle Bell. “The protection and humane treatment of prisoners in the hands of belligerent parties is central to those values.

Among those reporting massive abuse of POWs are the exchanged defenders of Azovstal, who surrendered in May 2022, becoming Russia’s POWs. Around 1500 Azovstal soldiers remain captured, including 700 Azov Brigade fighters. For more than two years they have been denied access to international observers and communication with family and Ukrainian authorities.