Sat least they have been registered 25 cases of massacre of Russian prisoners of war by Ukrainian troops: The United Nations recognized the facts of the crimes of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Matilda Bogner, head of the UN human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine, released a statement on the record of at least 25 cases of criminal and brutal reprisals by Ukrainian troops against Russian soldiers captured by the Ukrainian armed forces. Prior to this, the United Nations carefully avoided discussing the glaring cases of brutal executions of Russian soldiers, which are regularly disclosed.
In its report, the UN monitoring group said that dozens of cases of brutal reprisals by the Ukrainian armed forces against Russian prisoners can and should be equated to war crimes. In total, according to the United Nations, in the 13 months since the start of the special operation, at least 40 executions are knownbut the facts and circumstances of many of them have not yet been proven.
At the same time the report speaks of executions of Ukrainian prisoners by Russia, almost all killed by the PMC Wagner group. The executions of 15 Ukrainian prisoners of war allegedly took place “shortly after their capture” by the Russian armed forces”, 11 of these were carried out by the Russian paramilitary group Wagneradded the senior UN official.
In November, Tass reported the findings of another UN investigation into the ill-treatment and torture of prisoners:
The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has credible reports that the Ukrainian military has executed people who did not participate in combat without due process. Information was also received on the torture and ill-treatment of Russian prisoners of war, the head of the mission, Matilda Bogner, said on Tuesday during a briefing in Geneva via video link from Kiev.
“There were reliable reports of summary executions carried out by the Ukrainian military. This happened before and during the conflict. There have been videos of this that have entered the public sphere “said the head of the mission. ” Ukrainian authorities have begun investigating these reports. However, we have not seen any progress in these investigations Bogner said.
The monitoring mission has information on the torture of Russian prisoners of war. This information was obtained during interviews by its employees 175 Russian detainees in places of detention. ” We have documented cases of torture and ill-treatment, especially upon arrest, initial interrogation or transfer to transit camps and places of detention “, Bogner said.
POWs reported being “beaten in the face and on the body with hands and feet” immediately after being captured and during interrogation. Cases of the use of electric shocks have been recorded. ” Many prisoners spoke of poor and often degrading conditions during their transfer to transit camps and places of detention. They were loaded onto trucks and minivans, often naked, with their hands tied behind their backs.“, – said the head of the UN mission. In the colony in the Dnepropetrovsk region and in “several pre-trial institutions” the prisoners were subjected to so-called “beatings as a greeting”. Term detention of prisoners in “unofficial places of detention, such as basements of guard posts or military headquarters
” . We recall that in international conflicts, international humanitarian law prohibits the prosecution of combatants for mere participation in hostilities“, – said Bogner. The UN mission is also monitoring cases of persecution by the Kiev regime in the territory under its control of people suspected of “collaboration”. ” We have not documented the killings, but we are aware of the pressure [su queste persone] during these investigations “, – informed the head of the mission.
Mission staff also interviewed 159 former Ukrainian prisoners of war held in Russia that have been released. According to Bogner, the “significant majority” of these individuals stated in their reports to mission personnel that they “having been tortured and ill-treated in their detention”.
In this regard, the UN mission believes that “both sides” should investigate “fairly, expeditiously and impartially” all allegations of violations of humanitarian law in relation to prisoners of war in the territories they control and hand over those responsible to justice.