The international human rights organization Amnesty International presented the report “Deafening Silence. Enforced disappearances, incommunicado detention and torture of Ukrainian prisoners by Russia”, which documents systemic war crimes and crimes against humanity against prisoners of war and civilians of Ukraine.
Source: ukrinform
The study is based on the testimonies of 104 people, including former Ukrainian prisoners of war and their relatives.
Systematic violation of international law
According to human rights activists, thousands of Ukrainian military and civilians are illegally held captive in Russia and the occupied regions.
- 98% of Ukrainian prisoners of war are held incommunicado.
- Only 5 out of 43 interviewed prisoners were able to contact their relatives, and only after they were forced to agree to participate in propaganda interviews for Russian media
- Russia systematically blocks access to prisoners for international organizations as part of its policy of violating the Geneva Conventions.
Torture and executions as methods of pressure
The report documents massive cases of violence to which Ukrainian prisoners of war are subjected from the first minutes after capture.
- Physical abuse: electroshock, beatings, torture with truncheons.
- Sexual violence: testimonies of victims confirm that this method is used by the Russian military everywhere.
Denial of medical care: prisoners are punished even for trying to - get treatment for themselves or other prisoners.
Over the past year, human rights activists have recorded at least 109 cases of executions of Ukrainian servicemen in captivity.
Testimonies of former prisoners
Volodymyr Shevchenko, who spent more than two years in captivity, spoke about brutal torture:
“The torture began immediately after the capture. They used stun guns and special batons. I saw how after the beatings, the guys simply could not stand it and died.”
Serhiy Koroma, who was seriously injured before his capture, said he received only antiseptic for his wounds, although he needed serious treatment.
Russia’s manipulations regarding missing Ukrainians
About 55 thousand missing persons have been registered in Ukraine, and human rights activists believe that a significant number of them may be in Russian prisons.
- A quarter of the released prisoners of war were among those whom Russia did not recognize as detainees.
- Lack of information about their condition is used as a tool of manipulation and pressure during negotiations.
Amnesty International calls for action
The human rights organization calls on the international community to use all possible mechanisms to bring the perpetrators to justice, in particular
✔️ International Criminal Court,
✔️ Universal jurisdiction,
✔️ Strengthening sanctions and political pressure.
Amnesty International emphasizes that Russia systematically violates international humanitarian law, and the international community must do everything possible to stop these crimes and secure the release of all Ukrainian prisoners.
