GENEVA: United Nations human rights experts have accused Russia of systematically using sexual torture against Ukrainian civilians as a deliberate intimidation tactic.
The independent experts mandated by the UN Human Rights Council documented ten cases of Ukrainian civilians tortured under Russian occupation in newly-seized territories.
All victims endured repeated electric shocks applied directly to their genitals by Russian forces according to the investigators’ findings.
The torture methods included severe beatings, kicking, blindfolding, and simulated drownings and executions designed to terrorise captives.
UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Alice Jill Edwards described these allegations as representing only a small fraction of a widespread and well-documented pattern of abuse.
“These were all highly-sexualised assaults which included rapes, threats of rape, and other depraved conduct,“ Edwards said.
She emphasised that Russia appears to be implementing a deliberate and systematic policy of sexualised torture against civilian populations in occupied Ukrainian territory.
The experts stated that Russia employs torture specifically to intimidate, instil fear, and maintain control over civilians in areas under its military occupation.
They have formally requested that the Russian government provide explanations for these specific allegations and detail preventive measures being implemented.
One female victim identified in the dossier remains detained inside Russia, prompting calls for her immediate release from the UN experts. – AFP
