Recently, Russian troops have been abusing civilians in areas of southern Ukraine that they control of. These abuses may be considered as war crimes.
“Russian forces have turned occupied areas of southern Ukraine into an abyss of fear and wild lawlessness,” said Yulia Gorbunova, senior Ukraine researcher at Human Rights Watch.
Crimes that Russian authorities have been committing in the North have already sparked global outrage, but there hasn’t been much attention on the South until a report by Human Rights Watch was published.
The Geneva Conventions allow opposing sides in international conflict to take the other side’s soldiers as prisoners of war. However, the convention prohibits torture, which Russia is currently doing to Ukrainian citizens in the South.
“People interviewed described being tortured, or witnessing torture, through prolonged beatings and in some cases electric shocks,” says the report made by Human Rights Watch.
As a result of the touture, Ukrainian citizens have been experiencing severe burns, cuts, concussions; broken teeth; broken bones, broken blood vessels, and, worst case scenario, death.
The Human Rights Watch reported that out of three members of Ukraine’s Territorial Defense Forces who were being held as prisoners of war, two had died.
The Humans Rights Watch also said that they spoke with 71 people in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. Those people described 42 cases in which Russian forces had held people captive, but then those people disappeared.
If the war still continues, Russia can be charged with war crimes, and more and more Ukrainians would suffer more from the abuses.
“Torture, inhumane treatment, as well as arbitrary detention and unlawful confinement of civilians, are among the apparent war crimes we have documented,” Ms. Gorbunova said.
“Russian forces have turned occupied areas of southern Ukraine into an abyss of fear and wild lawlessness,” said Yulia Gorbunova, senior Ukraine researcher at Human Rights Watch.
Crimes that Russian authorities have been committing in the North have already sparked global outrage, but there hasn’t been much attention on the South until a report by Human Rights Watch was published.
The Geneva Conventions allow opposing sides in international conflict to take the other side’s soldiers as prisoners of war. However, the convention prohibits torture, which Russia is currently doing to Ukrainian citizens in the South.
“People interviewed described being tortured, or witnessing torture, through prolonged beatings and in some cases electric shocks,” says the report made by Human Rights Watch.
As a result of the touture, Ukrainian citizens have been experiencing severe burns, cuts, concussions; broken teeth; broken bones, broken blood vessels, and, worst case scenario, death.
The Human Rights Watch reported that out of three members of Ukraine’s Territorial Defense Forces who were being held as prisoners of war, two had died.
The Humans Rights Watch also said that they spoke with 71 people in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. Those people described 42 cases in which Russian forces had held people captive, but then those people disappeared.
If the war still continues, Russia can be charged with war crimes, and more and more Ukrainians would suffer more from the abuses.
“Torture, inhumane treatment, as well as arbitrary detention and unlawful confinement of civilians, are among the apparent war crimes we have documented,” Ms. Gorbunova said.