Russia tortured 95% of Ukrainian prisoners of war, UN monitoring mission says
Illustrative photo (getty images)
The Russian authorities torture Ukrainian prisoners of war, starting with the first interrogations. Torturing used by the Russians is widespread and systematic, according to Daniel Bell, head of the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.
Bell says that Russia tortured 95% of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russian prisons.
Bell emphasizes that the torture of Ukrainian prisoners of war is a war crime. Torture of prisoners of war is a violation of Article 3 of the Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War.
On August 7, the deputy commander of a Ukrainian brigade reported that the Russian authorities tortured and "brutally" killed a Ukrainian prisoner of war who served in his brigade in a detention center in Rostov region.
ISW says Bell's statements and previous monitoring mission reports on Russia's violations of the rights of Ukrainian prisoners of war are consistent with ISW's longstanding assessments of Russia's systematic violations of international human rights and humanitarian law in occupied Ukraine and against Ukrainian prisoners of war.
According to him, up to 90% of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russia suffer from various kinds of torture, inhuman treatment, and violence.
