UN documents torture and deaths in occupied territories
After almost two years of war, it has now been officially documented by the UN Human Rights Office: Russian occupying forces are indiscriminately torturing and killing civilians in Ukraine. The UN High Commissioner counts at least 100 deaths and many cases of torture. This also includes sexual violence.
The UN Human Rights Office has documented at least 100 deaths of civilians in Russian custody in the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, including the Crimean peninsula, which was annexed in violation of international law. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, reported in Geneva that there were signs that at least 39 of them had been tortured before their deaths. He was referring to a new report by his team on the situation in Ukraine. The figures cited by Türk refer to the entire period since the beginning of the Russian war against Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
"Torture and other cruel treatment are widespread in detention centers in the Russian-occupied territories," Türk said. "Many of the cases of torture we have documented involve sexual violence." Russia does not allow the UN Human Rights Office teams into detention centers in the occupied territories, which is why documentation is difficult. Arbitrary arrests are the order of the day there. The teams are unable to see Ukrainian prisoners of war. The families also heard nothing from their relatives.
The office is investigating six cases of Russian soldiers who are alleged to have killed civilians in the occupied territories, Türk said. Russia had announced the arrest of two soldiers who allegedly killed a family of nine in the Donetsk region. A further Russian investigation is apparently underway. Türk reported that Russia is forcing some Ukrainians in the occupied territories to fight in the Russian military against their own people.
By the end of November, there had been around 8,600 charges of collaboration against residents of occupied or liberated territories in Ukraine. There had been sentences in 941 cases. In many cases, however, the people had apparently only kept schools, social services or similar things running, said Türk. That was not a crime. Türk called on the Ukrainian authorities to narrow the definition of "collaboration".
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The attacks on Ukraine by Russian forces have been accused of involving war crimes, with the UN Human Rights Office reporting at least 100 civilian deaths and numerous cases of torture. These violations of human rights, including sexual violence, are occurring in Russian-occupied territories such as the Crimean peninsula, which was annexed illegally. The United Nations has called on Russia to allow access to detention centers and investigate allegations of murder and manslaughter committed by their soldiers.
Source: www.ntv.de
