Ukrainian Prisoners, Including Children, Tortured at Belarusian State Facility, Investigation Finds

An investigation has uncovered the existence of a Russian-operated filtration camp in Naroulia, Belarus, where Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians, including children, were illegally detained and subjected to torture during the early months of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to Radio Svoboda.

The camp, reportedly established in a facility owned by the Belarusian state enterprise "Pripyatskiy Alliance," operated under the oversight of Belarusian authorities from March to May 2022. It is described by human rights advocates as one of the most brutal in its treatment of detainees.

Journalists from "Schemes," in collaboration with the Belarusian Investigative Center, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Belarusian service, the Reckoning Project, and the hacker group "Cyberpartisans," conducted the investigation.

They interviewed former prisoners and their families, who detailed severe interrogations, beatings, and forced participation in Russian propaganda videos.

"Civilians were beaten severely there, and you could constantly hear screams," said one of the former prisoners.

Some Ukrainian detainees remain in captivity, reportedly held in Russian penal colonies, according to human rights organizations. Experts have labeled the actions at the Naroulia camp, including torture and threats, as international war crimes. They also implicate Belarus in these violations, highlighting the country’s role in allowing Russian forces to operate such a facility on its territory.

The findings have intensified scrutiny of Russia's ongoing human rights abuses and Belarus' complicity in the atrocities tied to the war in Ukraine.

Previously, it was reported that Russia has established a structured system of torture targeting Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs), employing trained individuals to execute these acts.

An earlier investigation revealed Russia’s widespread use of torture camps in occupied territories, including the Petrovsky Mine in Donetsk. A recent investigation uncovered that American defector Russell Bentley was detained, tortured, and killed at this site.