19/04/2022 16:40

The occupiers are abducting residents of Zaporizhia region en masse

According to the available information, as of the evening of April 18, 155 cases of abduction of civilians by the troops of the Russian Federation were registered in the region.

So far, 86 hostages have been released and 69 more remain in captivity. Of the total number of abductees - 34 local authorities (24 released), 14 entrepreneurs (6 released), 12 heads of enterprises, institutions, organizations (released 5), 3 lawyers (released 2), 2 journalists - released.

Yesterday, the occupiers kidnapped two policemen and a rescuer.

Also in Melitopol, a captured soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was taken to the hospital under the escort of the russian military.  According to a spokesman for the Zaporizhzhya regional administration, the serviceman was "tortured and abused in such a way that he tried to cut his own veins."  Doctors had to operate on the soldier under the barrels of machine guns.

Such actions by russian militants grossly violate the right to liberty and security of citizens of Ukraine guaranteed by Articles 3 and 34 of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Torture of prisoners of war is a violation of Article 3 of the 1949 Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

I appeal to the UN Commission for Investigation Human Rights Violations during Russia's military invasion of Ukraine to take into account these facts of crimes and human rights violations in Ukraine.