By KYIV. Nov 14 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Russia uses torture and sexual violence as weapons of war; in Kherson region alone, 11 torture chambers set up by the occupiers have been identified, Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said.
As the Prosecutor General’s Office said on the Telegram channel on Tuesday, Kostin said this during a meeting with representatives of the UN Independent International Commission to Investigate Violations in Ukraine.
According to the department, the Prosecutor General discussed with Commissioners Erik Møse, Pablo de Greiff, Vrinda Grover and members of the Commission team further cooperation to ensure the responsibility of Russia for international crimes.
Kostin said Ukraine highly values the work of the Commission and the coverage in its reports of important aspects of crimes of this category.
“Russia systematically uses torture and sexual violence as weapons of war. We document such crimes wherever Russian troops were stationed,” Kostin was quoted as saying in the report.
The Prosecutor General said as a result of the investigation, 11 torture cases were identified in the liberated areas of Kherson region, and over 100 criminal proceedings were being investigated in Kharkiv region, in which over 700 victims were identified.
According to Kostin, such patterns can be observed in other de-occupied areas. “To date, 172 suspects have been identified, indictments against 141 people have been sent to court, 39 people have been convicted of torture and ill-treatment of civilians,” the department said.
The meeting participants also discussed the issues of forced deportation of Ukrainian children and the illegal detention of civilians by the aggressor.
“I am convinced that the enemy is committing mass crimes against our children and civilians in order to destroy our national and cultural identity, which indicates a crime of genocide,” Kostin said.
In this context, the Prosecutor General noted the need to unite the efforts of the international community to ensure effective counteraction and accountability for all crimes committed against Ukraine and Ukrainians.
