Over 16,000 civilians captured by Russia following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 remain "deprived of their liberty," with many being held in violation of international law, an informal UN Security Council meeting has been told.
According to UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Claudia Fuentes Julio, Russia has persisted in widespread, systematic torture and ill-treatment of both Ukrainian civilian detainees and prisoners of war, including cases of sexual violence.
Julio gave the estimates at the informal meeting of the UNSC — which includes Russia as a permanent member — called by Latvia and the UK on Monday to spotlight the condition of civilians and soldiers taken during the war that Russia launched in 2022.
Julio presented results of interviews UN human rights personnel conducted with 910 Ukrainian prisoners of war and 403 civilian detainees following their release.
More than 95% of the Ukrainian prisoners of war and 85% of the civilian detainees reported being tortured or ill-treated, often repeatedly, the UN official said.
