“Most prisoners are held without communication with the outside world, and their families are practically not receiving data on their fate, status and location”, – WRITE: www.radiosvoboda.org
The report states that the lack of transparency on the location of Ukrainian prisoners of war and prisoners of civilians allows to torture, other types of ill -treatment during detention and even illegal killings of prisoners continue with full impunity.
“The systematic maintenance of Russian prisoners of war and civilians without connection with the outside world reflects a purposeful policy aimed at dehumanizing them and forcing them to be silent, forcing their families to suffer in anticipation of news about their loved ones,” said the Secretary General.
According to her, torture occurs in complete isolation on the outside world, and the victims are completely dependent on the mercy of the prisons in survival.
“This is not a series of isolated incidents is a systematic policy that violates all the rules of international law,” the organization added.
The Amnesty International report is based on an interview with 104 people in Ukraine from January to November 2024. Among them are five former Ukrainian prisoners of war, members of 38 prisoners of war, members of 23 Ukrainians, “missing persons in special circumstances”, 28 previously detained civilians and their families, as well as 10 Russian prisoners of war, which are currently being held in Ukraine.
The organization states that most Ukrainian prisoners of war are maintained without connection with the outside world, and their families do not receive information about their fate, status and place of residence.
At the same time, the Russian authorities refuse international organizations to access them, which is part of a purposeful policy aimed at bringing prisoners of war from the protection of international law, Amnesty considers.
The report draws attention to the fact that civilians also make up a significant number of those who are considered victims of violent disappearance – Russia has long been using arbitrary arrests, torture and violent disappearances to intimidate civilian populations in its controlled territories. The organization says that such actions are equivalent to crimes against humanity.
Amnesty International calls on Russia to stop the campaign of torture, violent disappearances and detention without connection with the outside world against the Ukrainians in captivity. The Russian authorities should also inform the relevant bodies of the status of all their prisoners of war and provide unimpeded access to them to international humanitarian organizations, provide adequate medical assistance to all Ukrainians in captivity.
Moscow has not reacted to Amnesty International at this report.
Also, according to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission (as of August 2024), most Ukrainian prisoners of war – 95% – torture in Russia.