A United Nations (UN) report outlines atrocities committed by Russian forces in occupied territories. Civil society is repeatedly targeted. Rape and torture are not exceptional, but occur systematically.
A UN investigative committee says it is gathering increasing evidence in the war in Ukraine that the Russian army is torturing civilians and carrying out attacks on them.
“There are continuing indications that Russian forces are committing war crimes in Ukraine,” the commission reported to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday. The findings indicated widespread and systematic use of torture.
Brutal torture methods as a system
Torture is said to be carried out by Russian forces against people accused of being informants for the Ukrainian armed forces. “In some cases, the torture was so brutal that the victim died,” the commission said.
Survivors were named when the results were presented. One torture victim said: “Every time I answered that I didn’t know or remember something, they gave me electric shocks. I don’t know how long that lasted. It felt like an eternity.”
The committee will now try to clarify whether the cases of torture and attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure constitute crimes against humanity, the committee said. “The Commission regrets that attacks on civilians and medical facilities under protection continue.”
Soldiers rape women
In the Kherson region, Russian soldiers raped and sexually assaulted women between the ages of 19 and 83. The Russians would repeatedly resort to brutal methods to break resistance within the population. Last year, Ukrainian troops managed to push back the Russian occupiers from the area. Since then, the region has been continuously bombed.
Ukraine was also asked to investigate several 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 denied access to Russian sources, it was said.
The Kremlin announces a search for judges
The Russian judiciary has now issued a search notice for other judges and senior officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The Interior Ministry has put Polish ICC President Piotr Hofmański, Peruvian Vice President Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza and German judge Bertram Schmitt on its wanted list, Russian state media reported on Monday.
No specific charges or criminal counts were mentioned against her.
After the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants against Russian President Vladimir Putin and his child representative Maria Lvowa-Belova in March 2023 for kidnapping Ukrainian children, the Kremlin has already issued search warrants against several ICC judges and the agency’s chief prosecutor, Karim . Khan.
Russia accused them of “attacking a representative of a foreign government.” At the time, the ICC described Russia’s response as “insignificant.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
