A new United Nations human rights report reveals a grim pattern of systematic torture and summary executions of Ukrainian civilians detained by Russian forces during the ongoing conflict. Based on interviews with hundreds of victims and witnesses, the report documents over 900 cases of arbitrary detention, the majority by Russia, spanning from the invasion's start in February 2022 to May 2023.
The report paints a disturbing picture of widespread abuse, with the vast majority of interviewees reporting torture and, in some instances, sexual violence while in Russian custody. Matilda Bogner, head of the UN human rights office in Ukraine, stated that torture was employed to coerce confessions of aiding Ukrainian forces, compel collaboration with occupying authorities, or intimidate those with pro-Ukrainian sentiments.
The UN investigation also documented 75 cases of arbitrary detention by Ukrainian security forces, with a significant portion categorized as enforced disappearances. Over half of those detained by Ukrainian forces reported torture or mistreatment, typically during interrogation or immediately after arrest. While Ukraine granted UN investigators access to official detention centers, Russia denied such access despite repeated requests.
Tanya Nedashkivska mourns her husband, killed in Bucha, Ukraine, on April 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd, File)
Beyond arbitrary detentions, the report confirms at least 77 summary executions of civilians by Russian forces. Victims included local officials, humanitarian workers, clergy, and teachers, many held incommunicado under appalling conditions. The UN expressed grave concern over proposed Russian legislation that could grant immunity for crimes committed in occupied Ukrainian territories, a move that would violate international law obligations to investigate and prosecute such offenses.
While Ukraine has initiated criminal investigations into the detention of civilians by Russian forces, leading to 23 convictions, the UN is unaware of similar investigations into abuses by Ukrainian forces. The report highlighted concerns about Ukrainian detention laws, suggesting they exceed internationally permissible limits even during emergencies and facilitate arbitrary detention. The UN urged both sides to disclose the whereabouts and fate of detainees to their families and to release all arbitrarily detained civilians.
