A seasoned British diplomat has criticized Russia following allegations that it uses torture against Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs). Two significant reports have accused Russia of torturing Ukrainian POWs, which a British diplomat has described as "damning and disturbing."
Ambassador Neil Holland, head of the British delegation to the OSCE, urged Moscow to stop using torture in response to findings by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine and the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. The former concluded that Russia's treatment of Ukrainian POWs involved "systematic and widespread use of torture."
Addressing the OSCE in Vienna, Austria, Mr. Holland noted that the findings of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission corroborate the Commission’s report, stating that Ukrainian POWs held by Russians were routinely tortured and mistreated. He said, "These findings are damning and disturbing. We are seriously concerned for the welfare of many Ukrainian POWs."
Recalling the Brussels Declaration from 150 years ago, where the then Russian empire stated that POWs should be "treated with humanity," Mr. Holland added, "Russia should uphold the laws of war that it helped create, including 150 years ago in Brussels. Prisoners of war must not be subjected to torture. Their conditions of internment must be adequate, including access to sufficient food, clean water, and medical aid. Russia must share the whereabouts of all prisoners and allow them to contact their families. Russia must allow humanitarian access to all places of detention. And all Ukrainians illegally detained – including our colleagues from the Special Monitoring Mission – must immediately be released."
The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission, in its report on the human rights situation in Ukraine between December and February, interviewed 60 recently released POWs. Danielle Bell, head of the organization, stated in March that nearly all described being tortured by Russian servicepersons or officials during captivity.
Ms. Bell explained that the torture methods included repeated beatings, electric shocks, threats of execution, prolonged stress positions, and mock executions. She added, "Over half of them were subjected to sexual violence." Additionally, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office has accused Russian troops of executing surrendered Ukrainian soldiers.
Ms. Bell also mentioned, "Most POWs also recounted the anguish of not being allowed to communicate with their families and being deprived of adequate food and medical attention." This situation includes Maksym Butkevych, a Ukrainian human rights activist who joined his country's army after the Russian invasion. Detained by Russia since early 2022, he is believed to have been tortured and abused, with his specific whereabouts unknown to his family for months.
Since the early stages of the unlawful invasion of Ukraine, Russia has denied committing war crimes during the conflict.
All the articles damning Putin, saying he is committing war crimes does nothing to save a single life will never face any repercussions from his actions all news agencies need to stop reporting if they are not going to act. The first kid that was taken from his family, the first rape the first murder he condoned he should have been executed. Unless someone takes some action all media needs to shut the f*** up you are wasting valuable time and resources to not act and you are enabling every death and rape every day he is alive and running that country. Stop talking, you are worthless unless you act. You are complacent and capitalizing on murder and rape every word you write. Disgusting all American media outlets, you are worse than the monsters you profit from
ReplyDeleteWhat a stupid comment above. The role of the media is to report , not to act. If you advocate stopping the reporting you are just being a pawn for Putin.
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