UN slams ‘systematic’ Russian torture of Ukraine civilians
The United Nations has accused Russia of subjecting civilians in occupied Ukrainian territories to torture, including sexual violence, in what it described as a “widespread and systematic” campaign. In a damning report released Tuesday, the UN rights office said that since Moscow’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Russian authorities have carried out consistent patterns of serious violations of international law against civilian detainees. Investigators interviewed 216 civilians who had been released from detention in Russian-controlled areas since June 2023. Alarmingly, 92% reported torture or ill-treatment, providing consistent and detailed accounts of abuse. Methods described included: Severe beatings with batons and sticks Electric shocks applied to different body parts Mock executions and other forms of psychological abuse UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk condemned the findings, saying: “People have been arbitrarily picked off the streets in occupied territory, charged […]