Russia tortures Ukrainian civilians in occupied territories — UN
Russia systematically violates international humanitarian law in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, including Crimea, carrying out mass detentions, torture, and applying Russian legislation to Ukrainian civilians.
This was stated by Noel Calgun, Deputy Head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission.
According to Calgun, the occupying authorities are allowed to detain people only as a last security measure; however, Russia systematically ignores international conventions. Detainees are accused by the occupiers of treason or “discrediting” the Russian Armed Forces under Russian law, which violates international norms.
The UN monitoring mission documented cruel treatment of civilian prisoners: out of 216 people interviewed who returned from Russian captivity, 199 confirmed instances of torture. Calgun emphasized that such actions are widespread and are explicitly prohibited under international law, even during wartime.
Detainees are held in complete isolation: they have no access to independent monitoring missions, cannot appeal the actions of the occupiers, and families often do not receive information about their whereabouts. Additionally, people are frequently deported to remote regions of Russia, making them harder to locate.
At a UN Security Council meeting, Russian permanent representative Vasily Nebenzya stated that Russia would continue its military aggression until Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky agrees to Russian terms in negotiations.
On the night of January 13, Russian occupiers struck the center of Odesa, damaging a building housing a UN humanitarian mission.
