The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine has uncovered new evidence of widespread torture by Russian authorities against Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war in occupied Ukrainian territories and the Russian Federation.
The Commission shared these findings in its latest update to the UN Human Rights Council on Monday.
“The extensive geographic reach and recurring patterns of torture demonstrate that torture was carried out as a standard and accepted practice with a sense of impunity,” the Commission stated.
Further investigations confirmed that "Russian authorities applied torture in areas of Ukraine under their control," and the new evidence "supports the Commission's previous conclusion that torture by Russian authorities was widespread."
The Commission identified additional common elements in the use of torture, confirming earlier conclusions about the systematic nature of these actions. Among these elements are repeated violent practices in Russian detention facilities where Ukrainian prisoners are held. This has been observed in several large penitentiary institutions in occupied territories. Another common element points to coordinated involvement of Russian officials in torture across all detention centers examined by the Commission.
The Commission also noted that systematic sexual violence, primarily against men in Russia, "is used as a method of torture in almost all of the detention centers identified."
Moreover, the Commission considered testimony from former prisoners about the behavior of prison staff in Russia. Evidence indicates that "in some detention centers, orders for mistreatment were issued by higher Russian authorities, who either approved or did not take measures to stop the abuse."
The Commission continues to document "explosive weapon attacks on civilian objects in populated areas, leading to devastating effects." These investigations included attacks on medical facilities, cultural sites, residential buildings, and supermarkets in Ukrainian-controlled territories.
The Commission also found new evidence of the impact of Russia’s large-scale attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, some of which caused power outages affecting millions of people, with repercussions on their health and well-being.
