Russia systematically tortures Ukraine POWs, says UN commission

GENEVA: A United Nations commission of inquiry on Ukraine said on Friday that it had gathered more evidence that Russia has systematically tortured Ukrainian prisoners of war, documenting rape threats and the use of electric shocks on genitals.

The three-member Commission of Inquiry said in a report that the scale of such torture cases may amount to the most serious abuses known as crimes against humanity, describing their occurrence as “widespread and systematic”.

“Victims’ accounts disclose relentless brutal treatment inflicting severe pain and suffering during prolonged detention, with blatant disregard for human dignity,” the chair of the commission, Erik Møse, told reporters in Geneva.

The report has been submitted to the 47-member UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, which will decide in its current session whether to renew the commission’s mandate for another year.

Russia denies torture or other forms of maltreatment of POWs. Russia’s diplomatic mission in Geneva did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the new report.