In the Russian occupied Kherson camp
Beating, electric shock, water torture, simulated firing squad
Over 200 civilians abused, 3 killed
After a months-long investigation, Ukrainian prosecutors have indicted four members of the Russian Defense Guard on charges of abusing civilians in Kherson, southern Ukraine, the New York Times (NYT) reported on the 30th (local time). Here is a summary of the article.
Ukrainian prosecutors stressed that the men committed abusive acts without hiding their identities.
Last year, in an area occupied by Russian forces for more than eight months, those who oversaw the camp tortured civilian detainees with electric shocks, water torture, and mock shootings, killing three inmates in the process. Those who died were beaten and left without medical treatment, Ukrainian prosecutors said.
There were torture chambers in 11 camps in Kherson, and the four accused this time oversaw camp 3 on Termal Energi Street in the center of Kherson. In this camp, 17 people were tortured with electric shocks to their genitals.
The accused are Colonel Aleksandr Naumenko from the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, Alexander Bocharov from the Krasnodar region, Anber Muksimov from Stavropol, and Alexander Chilengirov from the Orenburg region.
The Russian Defense Guard is not a military unit, but a domestic security agency under the Ministry of Internal Affairs and reporting directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said in a Facebook post that the Defense Guards used information from Ukrainian intelligence services, wiretapping, and testimony to indiscriminately tortured people into confessing.
Oleksi Sivak, 38, was arrested in Kherson in August last year for painting Ukrainian flags, symbols and graffiti, and was beaten and subjected to genital and electrical torture. He said, “Every time I asked a question, they beat me and gave me an electric shock. He testified that he was subjected to electric torture, and when he sat down, he was kicked and forced to sit on a chair.”
He testified that the electric torture continued at 30-second intervals for an hour. It was said that on one occasion the torturer had removed the fur hat covering his face and forced him to confess by holding his gun to his head.
Roman Shapovalenko, 38, a neighbor who was captured with Sibak, said he was tortured with electricity and water, had his arm broken, and was stabbed in the leg and jumped over his chest. He allegedly made him watch the torturer remove the hood over his eyes and attach electrical wires to his genitals.
He said that the electric torture on his earlobe was the most painful and said, “I couldn’t sleep for several days because of the flashing lights in my eyes.” He also joked that he was connected to the Wi-Fi to the person who was imprisoned with him and watched YouTube videos and movies in front of his eyes. He said that he thought that all of them would face the same fate, saying that his fellow prisoner, Lee Hor, in his 50s, died after being tortured for three or four days.
Serhi Ruban, 42, was beaten in a hallway and in a room where he was held, and died six days after being captured with several broken ribs.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.