Widespread use of torture by Russian military in Ukraine appears deliberate_ UN expert _ OHCHR.pdf

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PRESS RELEASES |

SPECIAL PROCEDURES

Widespread use of torture by Russian

military in Ukraine appears deliberate:

UN expert

15 June 2023

S TAT E M E N T S

GENEVA (15 June 2023) – The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Alice

Jill Edwards today expressed alarm at reports and testimonies which

appear to indicate that Russian military forces in Ukraine are consistently

and intentionally inflicting severe physical and psychological pain and

suffering on Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war.

This torture is allegedly being carried out to extract intelligence or to force

confessions from detained individuals, or because of their former

membership or support of the Ukrainian armed forces, Edwards said in a

letter to the Russian Federation.

“The alleged practices include electric shocks, beatings, hooding, mock

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executions and other threats of death,” the UN expert said. “If established,

they would constitute individual violations and may also amount to a

pattern of State-endorsed torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading

treatment or punishment.”

The allegations relate to the detention of Ukrainian civilians and prisoners

of war held in grossly inadequate conditions in facilities run by Russian

military forces inside Ukraine. In the letter, sent jointly with other

independent UN experts, Edwards said that the consistency and methods

of the alleged torture suggests “a level of coordination, planning and

organisation, as well as the direct authorisation, deliberate policy or

official tolerance from superior authorities.”

“Torture is a war crime, and the systematic or widespread practice of

torture constitutes a crime against humanity,” the Special Rapporteur

said. “Obeying a superior order or policy direction cannot be invoked as

justification for torture, and any individual involved should be promptly

investigated and prosecuted by independent authorities,” she said.

Reports indicate that as a result of torture, ill-treatment and poor

conditions of detention many Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war

have suffered physical and psychological traumas, hallucinations,

damage to internal organs, fractures and cracks in bones, extreme weight

loss, sensory impairment as well as motor losses, strokes or the

exacerbation of chronic diseases. Most individuals reportedly did not

have access to adequate medical assistance during their detention.

“The longer the war goes on, the more reports are emerging of torture and

other inhuman treatment,” Edwards said. “Such cruelty inflames hostility

and damages future hopes of peace and reconciliation between

neighbours. I strongly urge relevant authorities to ensure that civilians and

prisoners of war are protected and treated humanely at all times,” she

said.

The Special Rapporteur plans to visit Ukraine to conduct a fact-finding

inquiry later this year as part of her mandate.

ENDS

Dr. Alice Jill Edwards,

Special Rapporteur on Torture and other Cruel,

Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment

This press release was endorsed by:

Mr. Fabián Salvioli,

Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice,

reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence;

Ravindran Daniel (Chair-

Rapporteur), Jelena Aparac, Sorcha MacLeod, Chris Kwaja, Carlos Salazar

Couto,

Working Group on the use of mercenaries;

Morris Tidball-Binz,

Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions.

Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the

Special Procedures

of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of

independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name

of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms

that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all

parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis;

they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are

independent of any government or organisation and serve in their

individual capacity.

UN Human Rights, Country Page –

Russian Federation

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For more information and media requests, please

contact:

Alessandro Marra (+41 22 928 93 21/

alessandro.marra@un.org).

For media enquiries regarding other UN independent experts,

please contact

Maya Derouaz

(maya.derouaz@un.org) or

Dharisha Indraguptha

(dharisha.indraguptha@un.org)

Follow news related to the UN’s independent human rights

experts on Twitter

@UN_SPExperts

Follow news related to the UN Special Rapporteur on torture and

other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment on

Twitter

@DrAliceJEdwards

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