After two years of conflict, the UN Human Rights Office has officially reported that Russian forces have been indiscriminately torturing and killing civilians in Ukraine. The High Commissioner, Volker Türk, confirmed at least 100 civilian deaths, with at least 39 of them showing signs of torture. The brutalities extend to sexual assaults.
The UN High Commissioner's report covers the entire period since the beginning of the Russian war against Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The human rights violations are primarily occurring in Russian-occupied territories like the Crimean peninsula, which was annexed in defiance of international law.
Russia restricts access to detention centers in the occupied territories, making investigations challenging. Meanwhile, arbitrary arrests and lack of information from families are common. The UN is investigating six alleged cases of Russian soldiers murdering civilians and is alarmed by Russia's practice of forcing Ukrainians in occupied territories to fight against their own people.
Collaboration charges have been levied against 8,600 people in Ukraine since November. However, the UN High Commissioner, Volker Türk, suggests that in many cases, the accused have merely kept schools, social services, and other infrastructure operational. He urges the Ukrainian authorities to revise the definition of 'collaboration'.
Recent studies reveal that both Russian and Ukrainian forces have tortured Prisoners of War (POWs), engaging in beatings, electric shocks, and humiliating actions like forced nudity. In particular, Russian armed forces have committed severe beatings, electric shocks, asphyxiation, and sexual violence against Ukrainian POWs. The UN Human Rights Office documented 169 Ukrainian POWs who had been subjected to torture or ill-treatment.
There have been alarming cases of executions of Ukrainian POWs by Russian forces, with 79 executions in 24 separate incidents since August 2024. Ukrainian civilians have also faced significant casualties and endured severe human rights violations such as the use of cluster bombs and other wide-area effect weapons, causing disproportionate harm to civilians.
The UN Special Rapporteur for Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Alice Jill Edwards, has called for urgent medical care for Ukrainian civilians in Russian detention centers who have life-threatening medical conditions, resulting from physical violence and abuse.
In conclusion, the human rights situation in Ukraine remains dire, with Russian forces being accused of numerous violations including torture, murder, and sexual violence. The UN is advocating for access to detention centers and investigations into these allegations.
