Released prisoners of war testify to torture in 95% of cases – Ombudsman
The project "Made in Russia. Delivered to Captivity" was presented in Kyiv, focusing on developing effective measures against war crimes committed against Ukrainian prisoners of war.
As reported by an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent, during the event, the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, cited figures showing that 95% of Ukrainian prisoners of war were subjected to daily torture while held in Russian prisons.
"According to our data, Russia uses 695 forms of various torture. Therefore, we will demand an effective reaction from the world. To this end, within the ‘Made in Russia. Delivered to Captivity’ project, we are officially documenting all crimes and declaring that there is no international system for protecting human rights in a country that tortures prisoners of war and where not a single international instrument works. We must search for additional ways to exert influence on Russia," the Ombudsman emphasized at the event on Friday.
He also drew attention to the fact that 2,112 official Ukrainian prisoners of war have been sentenced by Russia to 20–25 years in prison.
"According to our information, as of now, 149 Ukrainian prisoners of war have been tortured to death, as verified by the International Committee of the Red Cross," Lubinets stated.
For this reason, as part of the "Made in Russia. Delivered to Captivity" project, new tools will be launched to counter crimes against prisoners of war, including direct negotiations between the ombudsmen of both countries.
Discussions will also continue regarding the next stages of exchanges in a 1,000-for-1,000 format. Ukraine is working on other formats; for instance, the upcoming exchange may be a combined one.
