POWs brutally tortured on both sides of Ukraine conflict, report says

The international human rights organization Amnesty International has published a report on the widespread use of torture on prisoners of war captured by both parties in the conflict in Ukraine. The report was prepared using testimonies from 33 former POWs, 17 of whom had been captured by the separatists, and 16 of whom had been held by Ukrainian armed forces and pro-Kiev fighters.

32 of the respondents reported of beatings. The former POWs also spoke of being tortured with electric shocks, being hung from the ceiling, deprived of sleep, denied urgent medical care and subjected to mock executions.

Amnesty has found that both sides are arbitrarily holding civilians who have not committed any crime, but who sympathize with the opposing side. The organization spoke to civilians who were detained and beaten merely for having photographs from the EuroMaydan protests on their mobile phones, or for having telephone numbers of separatist contacts.

The 36-page report by Amnesty International, called “Breaking Bodies: Torture and summary killings in Eastern Ukraine,” details widespread prisoner abuse on both sides of the conflict.

Ukrainian authorities announced the capture of their two latest prisoners, Evgeny Erofeev and Alexander Alexandrov, on May 16. They were fighting for the separatists in the east of Ukraine. A court in Kiev has ruled that Alexandrov will be detained in Ukraine until July 19.

Russian defense officials have acknowledged the detention of two Russian citizens, but said Erofeev and Alexandrov quit the army and were only civilians at the time of their capture. Erofeev and Alexandrov have denied this, telling newspaper Novaya Gazeta in an interview that they were on active duty and participating in operations in the east of Ukraine on assignment from their higher-ups. The men say that no one from the Russian embassy in Kiev has taken any interest in their situation.

During meetings with Amnesty International representatives, Erofeev and Alexandrov said they were treated well, and thanked Ukrainian doctors who provided them with medical care.