An investigation under the auspices of the UN Human Rights Council, the results of which were released on Thursday, found that the Russian authorities have committed numerous war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity in many regions of Ukraine.
Source. This is stated in the UN report released on March 16.
The report, dedicated to the anniversary of the Russian attack on the Mariupol drama theater, lists episodes of looting, torture and murder of civilians as war crimes. Russia's actions, which left thousands of Ukrainians without electricity, heat and water, are called potential humanitarian crimes (or crimes against humanity).
According to analysts, the document is written in an accusatory tone, which is very unusual when it comes to a member of the UN Security Council, which Russia is.
The UN has accused Russia of numerous war crimes in Ukraine, including the deliberate killing of civilians, torture, and the deportation of children. Captured Ukrainians were forced to "call Putin", tortured with electric shocks, and beaten for speaking Ukrainian and not knowing the lyrics to the Russian anthem.
The report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry in Ukraine is based on nearly 600 interviews, satellite images, visits to graves and places of detention, and a large number of documents.
"The Russian authorities have committed numerous violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law in many regions of Ukraine, many of which constitute war crimes. The Commission was shocked by the scale of the destruction it saw during its visits," the document says.
The report, in particular, describes the abuse and torture used in the occupied territories in places where Ukrainians were detained. One of them was called "call Putin" or "call Lenin". The victim was tortured with electric shocks using a military field telephone "Tapik" (TA-57), the wires of which were attached to the feet, fingers or genitals. Prisoners were also suspended from the ceiling with their hands tied (called the "parrot position"), plastic bags and gas masks were placed over their heads, they were forced to strip naked, and they were raped.
One man said that he was beaten "as punishment for speaking Ukrainian" and for "not remembering the lyrics to the Russian national anthem."
According to one woman, she lost consciousness several times during the beating, but was brought back to life to continue the abuse.
The commission found numerous cases of rape, sexual and gender-based violence. It "constitutes important aspects of torture used by the Russian authorities," the report says. Last fall, the UN Special Representative already called rape part of Russia's military strategy.
The waves of attacks on energy infrastructure "may amount to crimes against humanity," the commission's report says: "The destruction of energy infrastructure has left entire regions and millions of people without electricity or heating for some time, especially during periods of sub-zero temperatures."
Background. As it was reported, the International Criminal Court will open the first cases of war crimes against Russians.