UN Mission calls for ways to grant independent observers access to prisoners of war in Russia

Noel Calhoun, Deputy Head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, called for increased efforts to secure access for independent observers to prisoners of war in Russia during the presentation of the project "Made in Russia. Delivered to Captivity."

"We have interviewed over 800 released prisoners of war and established that torture and ill-treatment of prisoners of war in Russia are widespread and systemic. Notably, 60% of them reported sexual violence," she said during the event on Friday.

According to her, these are not isolated incidents but a systemic practice of ill-treatment. She emphasized that the UN Mission will continue to seek ways to ensure access to prisoners of war, and the "Made in Russia. Delivered to Captivity" project is one such avenue.

"We have repeatedly called on the international community to ensure that violations do not continue and do not go unpunished, and to provide independent observers with access to prisoners and a connection to the outside world," she said.