Russia expanded use of torture after Ukraine invasion: UN expert

 

 Women representing families of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) and missing persons stage a demonstration in front of the United Nations offices in Geneva, on October 29, 2024, amid the Russian invasion in Ukraine. [AFP]

Russia has expanded its use of torture at home and abroad since invading Ukraine, with the practice notably used to clamp down on dissent during the war, a report by a UN rights expert said Tuesday.

Torture has become "a tool for stifling the civic space, for silencing all anti-war or dissidents, anybody who disagrees with the policies and the Russian authorities," report author Mariana Katzarova told reporters.

Katzarova, the UN's special rapporteur on human rights in Russia, noted that the use of torture had been documented in the country for the past three decades.

"But now, after the full-scale invasion, it has become a concerted strategy," she said.

Those subjected to torture have included conscientious objectors to the draft as well as mobilized men and regular troops who have refused orders to fight against Ukraine, according to the report, which was presented to the UN General Assembly.

At least 15 "unofficial places of detention" exist near the conflict's frontlines, where "hundreds are kept and subjected to torture to punish them," the report said.

It noted that Katzarova's requests to meet with Russian authorities and visit the country "have remained unanswered."

The findings were based on a review of Russian legislation, reports and analysis from human rights groups, Russian defense lawyers and testimony from survivors, including LGBTQ Russians and detained Ukrainians who have since been released back to their home country.

"Russian authorities rarely face accountability. This impunity has contributed to its 'normalization' in society and the 'legitimization' of a culture of violence," it said.

The report also documented a variety of methods used by law enforcement, prison guards and inmates acting under government orders.

"Brutal methods... are designed not just to punish but also to purposefully humiliate and inflict lasting injuries, both psychological and physical, or even death."

The report also criticized prolonged solitary confinement, such as that inflicted upon opposition figure Alexei Navalny, who died in prison earlier this year.