Alice Jill Edwards, the United Nations' Special Rapporteur, wrote to Russia about the increasing reports and testimonies which suggested Ukrainians were being subject to severe mental and physical pain by President Vladimir Putin's military.
The United Nations have alerted Russia to the alleged widespread use of torture by its forces against Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war. Picture: Rolf Vennenbernd/picture alliance via Getty Images Ms Edwards and other experts believe the methods of mistreatment used suggest it was coordinated, planned and came from the orders of"super authorities".
The UN found last year that both Ukrainian and Russian prisoners of war were being tortured since the invasion in February 2022. Picture: Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty Officials from the organisation interviewed 159 PoWs held by Russia and 175 PoWs held by Ukraine last year. "We also documented various forms of sexual violence, such as pulling a male victim by a rope tied around his genitalia, or forced nudity combined with the threat of rape," she said.