torture of civilians
Russian FSB operative Yagudin Eldar faces prison time over torture in occupied Kherson
An officer of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) has been charged in absentia with cruel treatment of civilians and other violations of the laws and customs of war for allegedly torturing a civilian in the occupied Kherson Region
“War is when your sister dies of her wounds in your arms while Russians torture your son for ten months”: how a mother searched for missing Ivan Zabavskyi in Russia
Ivan Zabavskyi, a resident of Tavilzhanka in the Kharkiv Oblast, was subjected to such a Russian sham trial. He was abducted while travelling to pick up his mother from occupied territory and was subsequently held in basements, where he was tortured and forced to sign a "confession" to a crime he had not committed
Russian authorities hold Bucha resident Oleksandr Kurdin, abducted in 2022, in Russia’s Tula region
The released Ukrainian soldiers told her that Oleksandr is being unlawfully held in Penal Colony No. 1 in Donskoy, Tula region
Kharkiv Oblast resident Volodymyr Sonko, abducted by Wagner fighters, held in Russian captivity for more than four years
Members of the Wagner Group abducted Volodymyr Sonko, a resident of the village of Hlyboke in the Kharkiv region, from his home on March 17, 2022. He was first held in Lyptsi, then moved to Hoptivka, before being transferred to Russia’s Belgorod region,
Driving instructor Serhii Kotov from Oleshky, occupied Kherson Oblast, is unlawfully held in Russian penal colony after torture and remains in critical condition
Serhii’s only contact with his family is through letters. In his letters, he says that work in the sewing workshop is so poorly paid that it barely covers basic needs. Unlawfully detained civilians receive no humanitarian support – they have to pay for everything they need for daily life themselves
Pensioner Oleksandr Pluzhnyk, abducted by Russian soldiers in the Kharkiv Oblast, is held in the Voronezh region
Antonina believes her uncle may have been held in a school basement where the Russians had a "headquarters". According to her, many local residents were unlawfully held there alongside Oleksandr. Later, all the detainees were transferred to an unknown location
From “soft power” to torture chambers: patterns of Russia’s seizure of new states based on Ukraine’s experience
ZMINA summarised the main highlights and recommendations included in the Special Report on the situation in the territories of Ukraine temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation
“Gestapo methods”: political prisoner Iryna Danylovych calls on the European Parliament to condemn torture in a Russian colony where she is held
Danylovych stated that the administration of women’s penal colony No. 7 in Zelenokumsk, Stavropol Krai, is creating "endless hell" for prisoners.
Three Russian servicemen charged in absentia with rape and abuse of civilians under occupation in the Luhansk region
The names of the suspects have not been released, but it is known that two were part of the 123rd Separate Motorised Rifle Brigade of the 2nd Army of the Southern Military District of the Russian Armed Forces, and the third was a member of the so-called 15th Territorial Defence Battalion "USSR Bryanka." The latter group has been known for torture, robbery, and killings since 2014
Over 80% of civilian hostages suffered violence while held in Russian captivity
The MIHR, together with the Human Rights Centre ZMINA, analysed the testimonies of 93 civilians released from Russian captivity. Human rights activists interviewed 61 men and 32 women aged between 24 and 60 from various occupations, including civil servants, journalists, volunteers, teachers, and others
Russians dubbed torture ‘lie detector’, ‘gym’, and ‘swimming lessons’ in Kherson Pre-trial Detention Centre – International Partnership for Human Rights reports
The International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR) released a new report detailing torture and other inhuman treatment of detainees at a Kherson detention facility
Russian Commander Viktor Bogaturov accused of illegal detention and the torture of civilians in the temporarily occupied Skadovsk
Investigators established that on March 16, 2022, the Russian officer personally beat a victim in the torso and neck
“She weighed up to 30 kilograms”: Journalist Roshchyna tortured in Russian captivity – investigation
Over time, the journalist began to lose weight rapidly. The Roshchyna refused to eat and constantly asked the prison guards for help
“Broken ribs have already healed, so there’s no point”: what civilians face after captivity and torture to get money and help
ZMINA talked about this with several former prisoners who were abducted during the occupation of Kherson, as well as Olena Belyachkova, coordinator of the groups of families of POWs and missing persons at Media Initiative for Human Rights.
From Kupiansk to Melitopol: the Russian system of torture in illegal detention centers
ZMINA analysts reviewed the testimonies of victims who were illegally detained by the Russians in various places in the occupied territories between April 2022 and March 2023. Here are the main points from the analytical report
“Our priority is to ensure victim-centered justice” – Interview with the Head of the Peace and Human Rights Program at the Swiss Embassy in Ukraine
On the eve of the summit, Vannay Gaetan, Head of the Peace and Human Rights Program at the Swiss Embassy in Ukraine, told ZMINA how his country is helping Ukraine in the war by searching for missing persons, conducting humanitarian demining, and ensuring justice for victims
How Ukraine passes judgment on violations of the laws and customs of war?
ZMINA analyzed how Ukraine tries war criminals and what challenges it faces
A decade of repressions: Crimean Tatars and Ukrainains targeted in Russia’s brutal crackdown on dissent
Amnesty International stated that with international crimes, Russia has attempted to change the ethnic makeup of Crimea while suppressing non-Russian identities on the peninsula, including through restricting education in Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar languages, attacking religious minorities, stifling media and culture, as well as undermining representative institutions and abusing the criminal justice system
Columns
“Reaching an agreement with the US on what we disagree on”: What the campaign against ICC means for Ukraine
ICC must remain free from political pressure to bring justice to victims of world’s gravest crimes
Only 5% of those responsible for deporting Ukrainian children face global sanctions
The human safari: How Russia weaponized precision against Ukrainian civilians
