The invaders keep Ukrainians in cramped basements, beaten, humiliated, and tortured. We continue to receive shocking stories of Ukrainians released from russian captivity.
Volodymyr Khropun, a Red Cross volunteer, was abducted by the russian military in the village of Kozarovychi, Kyiv region. For the first few days, he and other prisoners were held in the factory's basement in the nearby town of Dymer. About 40 prisoners were kept in the 28-square-meter room with him.
Volodymyr says that the military beat them with their butts, used electric shocks and mocked them in every possible way. He was blindfolded and demanded to provide information about the Ukrainian army.
The prisoners were held in Ukraine for almost a week and later transported to Belarus. The Ukrainians then went to a russian prison, where the harassment continued.
The russians humiliated the prisoners, forced them to kneel and take awkward poses. You don't look in the eyes, you do something slowly - Ukrainians were beaten on any occasion.
According to rumors, Volodymyr counted 72 prisoners in the immediate vicinity of the prison, but there were many more prisoners.
Vladimir was released during an exchange on April 9. By taking civilians hostage, the russian occupiers are violating international humanitarian law, including Article 34 of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 1949, which explicitly prohibits the unjustified detention of civilian hostages.
We call on the UN Commission for Investigation Human Rights Violations during the Russian military invasion of Ukraine to consider these violations of the rights of Ukrainian prisoners of war.
