SBU chief announces creation of joint group with UN for torture prevention in Ukrainian jails

11:52, 06.06.2016 1 min read

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) Chief Vasyl Hrytsak has announced the creation of a joint group with the UN to monitor Ukrainian pretrial detention facilities in order to prevent torture.

"Last week, we had a meeting with [UN Assistant Secretary General for Human Rights Ivan] Simonovic. We had a constructive conversation and reached an agreement on further cooperation and the creation of a joint group that will resolve such nuances virtually online to prevent such accusations against Ukraine in the future," Hrytsak told reporters on Monday during a surprise check of an SBU pretrial detention facility in Kyiv, in which Verkhovna Rada human rights ombudsman Valeria Lutkovska and Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko participated.

Simonovic earlier said there had been instances of torture in Ukraine, including by the SBU.