395th Shakhtarska Dyviziya Street, Stakhanov, Luhansk region
One of the largest torture houses in Stakhanov is located in the building of the MoI unit for combating organized crime (UBOZ). Militants of the so-called ‘LPR’ moved to this city in July 2014 and took over the majority of administrative buildings. There were around 40 separatists at UBOZ at the time when it was seized.
Prisoners at UBOZ were detained in a former automobile garage and a shed, which was had no facilities for accommodating people. The garage was separated into two parts. In one part, there were twenty to thirty men and women detained, the other part held ammunition and arms. In general, the garage had an area of approximately 18 square meters. Some prisoners were detained directly at the building of UBOZ, which had bed and mattresses, and prisoners regularly received food.
According to former prisoners, there was no air in the room; there was dust, dirt, and smell everywhere. The only source of fresh air in the garage was when someone opened the door. There was also a small window cut out with an angle grinder, however, it did not provide relief from the heat.
MoI unit for combating organized crime in Stakhanov
In addition, prisoners did not receive any food: in one case, they survived due to packages sent by relatives. In most cases, separatists did not tell families where prisoners were, so they could not send any food. The food was divided among everyone to make sure nobody died of hunger. Prisoners were taken out to the toilet once a day, and were always accompanied by armed convoy. There were bottles for urination in the room. Plastic containers were also used to collect water once a day.
Prisoners had to sleep on a concrete floor covered with rags. In addition, people could be taken for interrogation during the night.
It was forbidden to move around the garage. While the guards were nearby, everyone had to sit still.
According to witnesses, there were people with alcohol and drug addiction, hepatitis B and C, tuberculosis and AIDS among the prisoners. These people were detained together with the others and did not receive any medical assistance.
According to former prisoners, only detained militants could expect normal treatment from Stakhanov UBOZ staff. They were not beaten, could walk outside, and received cigarettes. People with alcohol and drug addiction were beaten and taken to perform forced labor, in particular dig trenches, offload mortar shells and food. Former prisoners reported a case of detention for homosexuality. The prisoner was treated with particular cruelty: he was constantly kept in the hole at the garage, while other stayed there for two days maximum.
Pro-Ukrainian activists were constantly interrogated with the use of physical abuse. On rare occasions, the militants recorded interrogations and made prisoners sign the record stating they had allegedly engaged in anti-constitutional acts against the republic. At the time of release, prisoners were forced to sign a statement that the prisoner had no claims against the so-called ‘LPR’ authorities.
Former prisoners became witnesses and victims of cruel beatings, suffocation, chaining, and mock executions. Prisoners returned from interrogations with broken skulls and cuts on their bodies. According to eyewitnesses, people were sometimes killed during interrogations.
Photo: Suspilne On September 15, human rights activists held campaigned near the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine requesting adopton of the...
Photo: Suspilne
On September 15, human rights activists held campaigned near the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine requesting adopton of the bill No. 2698 "On amendments to certain legislative acts of Ukraine concerning the implementation of international criminal and humanitarian law."
The adoption of this draft law would harmonize Ukrainian criminal legislation with the norms of international criminal and humanitarian law. Ukrainian law enforcement officers would be able to correctly qualify crimes committed during the war in the East of Ukraine. The bill would make it impossible to amnesty people who have committed war crimes. Also, these cases cannot simply be closed by the statute of limitations.
The bill on war criminals No. 2689 was registered in the Verkhovna Rada in December 2019.
Former prisoners of war and representatives of public organizations took part in the action. Center for Civil Liberties, the Izolyatsia art fund and the Arts & Rights project were the organizers of the event.
53% of Ukrainians believe that only those persons whose guilt in war and other serious crimes will be proven in court should be pros...
53% of Ukrainians believe that only those persons whose guilt in war and other serious crimes will be proven in court should be prosecuted for cooperation with the authorities of the so-called “L/DPR.” This is evidenced by the results of a survey conducted by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology with the support of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Ukraine and in cooperation with the ZMINA Center for Human Rights.
In the course of the poll, Ukrainians were asked who should be prosecuted for cooperation with the authorities of the so-called “DPR” / “LPR”.
Half of the respondents, namely 53%, believe that it should be only those whose guilt in war and other serious crimes will be proven in court.
22% say that everyone who held leadership positions in the so-called “DPR” / “LPR” should be prosecuted .
7% believe that all residents of the occupied territories who somehow cooperated with the local authorities.
Another 3% believe that no one should be responsible.
Recently, on September, 4 human rights defenders organized a discussion in Pokrovsk "Are we ready for reconciliation?"
More than 100 mercenaries from more than 30 countries are fighting on the side of illegal armed groups in Donbass. Deputy Prosecutor...
More than 100 mercenaries from more than 30 countries are fighting on the side of illegal armed groups in Donbass. Deputy Prosecutor General Gunduz Mammadov mentioned this in an interview for Radio Liberty.
“The Office of the Prosecutor General registered criminal proceedings on the facts of the participation of more than 100 foreign citizens in the illegal armed formations of the Russian Federation in the armed conflict in Donbas against Ukraine. The geography of the countries of origin of mercenaries is very diverse and comprises more than 30 states, including France, the Czech Republic and even Chile. The largest number of them are from Spain and Serbia - 27 people, Moldova - 26, France - 20,” - said Mammadov.
According to the Office of the Prosecutor General, citizens of Bulgaria, Armenia, Italy, Spain, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Moldova, the Netherlands, Germany, and others, participated in the illegal armed groups in Donbas as well.
Mercenraies took part in various units, in particular, the so-called 14th territorial defense battalion "Prizrak", 11th separate motorized rifle regiment "Vostok", 7th separate motorized rifle brigade "Chistyakovskaya", 1st separate motorized rifle brigade "Slavyanskaya", separate reconnaissance battalion "Sparta," a separate assault battalion" Somalia ", illegal armed formations" Rusichi "," Wolf`s Hundred "," Bryanka USSR "and others.
Previously, in Kazakhstan, Yevgenii Shcherbak was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison for mercenarism as part of the illegal armed formation in Donbas after the Russian Federation refused to grant him asylum.
The Secretariat of the Coalition «Justice for Peace in Donbas»
