UN Monitoring Mission: All those interviewed after their release from captivity in the Russian Federation talked about torture

All those interviewed after their release from captivity in the Russian Federation talked about torture / Photo: Vitaly Yurasov

Each of the more than 600 interviewed civilians or soldiers who were held captive by the Russian Federation spoke about torture and ill-treatment.

The UN Monitoring Mission on Human Rights in Ukraine reports this in its statement to the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.

It is noted that since February 2022, MMPLU has interviewed more than 600 released Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war, including prisoners of war who were released from Russian captivity during the exchange on May 31. As in previous findings, every interviewee in this recent exchange spoke of torture, from severe beatings and prolonged exposure to stressful body positions, to electric shocks to the genitals and being mauled by dogs. Torture was also applied to whole groups of prisoners.

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«For example, during the so-called «admission» to an institution located on the territory of the Russian Federation, prisoners of war had to pass between rows of guards who beat them with police batons or electric shockers. Exhausting physical exercises and humiliation, such as forcing prisoners of war to learn and sing Russian patriotic songs, were also part of the daily schedule,» the Mission noted.

Those interviewed also said that they experienced constant hunger in captivity and were deprived of proper medical care for a long period.

“Combined with poor hygienic conditions, this often resulted in significant weight loss among prisoners and skin diseases; some prisoners of war lost several teeth. These testimonies were consistent with the MMPLU's own observations — the physical condition of the interviewees corresponded to their testimonies,» added the Monitoring Mission.

It will be recalled that the Russian military abducted and held in captivity for a long time at least ten civilians on the Kinburn Spit. Three local residents returned from captivity, having survived torture.