Ukraine urges UN to increase pressure on Russia due to torture of Ukrainians
Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on UN member states to increase pressure on Russia and force it to comply with its obligations, including the Convention against Torture.
This was stated in the comments of the Foreign Ministry on the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, which is observed on June 26th.
The Ministry is once again drawing the attention of the international community “to serious and systematic violations of human rights on the part of Russia as an aggressor state, whose daily victims are citizens of Donbass, as well as those in the occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea.”
In addition, the Foreign Ministry says that they have “indisputable evidence regarding the systematic use of unlawful methods of inquiry, torture, and methods of psychological pressure against Ukrainian citizens who are held in Russia and in the occupied territories.”
Russia has issued no statements about this.
Ukrainian prisoners in Russian prisons have repeatedly talked about the use of torture. Such methods of inquiry, the victims say, are also used by Russian intelligence in the annexed Crimea. Human rights activists from several organizations have repeatedly confirmed such information, speaking out against the use of such violent methods and violations of basic human rights.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine also sent a letter of protest to the Russian Foreign Ministry in connection with a visit of a Russian delegation, headed by President Vladimir Putin, to the Crimea which had not been coordinated with Ukraine.