By Atoyebi Nike
Russian authorities have subjected civilian detainees in occupied Ukrainian territories to torture, including sexual violence, in a “widespread and systematic manner,” the United Nations said on Tuesday.
In its latest report, the UN Human Rights Office concluded that since the full-scale invasion in February 2022, Russia has consistently violated international law in its treatment of Ukrainian civilians.
Investigators interviewed 216 civilians released from Russian detention since June 2023, with 92 percent providing “consistent and detailed accounts” of torture or ill-treatment. Survivors described severe beatings with sticks and batons, electric shocks to body parts, mock executions, threats against loved ones, humiliation, and forced stress positions.
“Many interviewees were subjected to multiple forms of torture or ill-treatment while in detention,” the report said.
Ukraine has estimated that at least 1,800 of its civilians remain in Russian custody, though the actual figure may be much higher. The report warned that Russia’s disregard for legal safeguards and lack of accountability has left many civilians “outside the effective protection of the law.”
UN rights chief Volker Türk said detainees were often “arbitrarily picked off the streets in occupied territory, charged under shifting legal bases and held for days, weeks, months and even years.” He stressed that the rights of civilian detainees must be prioritized in any future peace talks.
The report also noted “instances of torture and ill-treatment” of civilians held by Ukrainian authorities. As of late July, Ukraine reported holding more than 2,250 conflict-related detainees, mostly Ukrainian nationals and only a few Russians.
