Abuse, torture, rape: A UN commission is investigating the actions of Russian armed forces in Ukraine and is trying to clarify whether these constitute crimes against humanity.
A United Nations investigative commission says it is gathering more and more evidence in the Ukraine war that the Russian army is torturing civilians and carrying out attacks on them. “There is ongoing evidence that Russian forces are committing war crimes in Ukraine,” the commission reported to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
The findings indicated widespread and systematic use of torture by the Russian armed forces against individuals accused of being informants for the Ukrainian armed forces. “In some cases the torture was so brutal that the victim died,” the commission said.
The commission will now try to clarify whether the cases of torture and attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure constitute crimes against humanity, it said. “The Commission regrets that attacks continue against civilians and medical facilities under protection.” In the Kherson region, Russian soldiers raped and committed sexual violence against women between the ages of 19 and 83.
Ukraine was also asked to investigate some cases of possible mistreatment of Russian prisoners of war. It is very important that those responsible are held accountable, said the head of the commission, Erik Møse. The Commission has visited Ukraine ten times so far. Despite repeated requests, she was not given access to Russian sources, it was said.
Source: Stern
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