Petrovskoho Street, Horlivka, Donetsk region
Two years ago, on 14 April 2014, militants began an assault on Horlivka city department of the Main MoI Directorate. On that same day, the flag of the so-called 'LPR' was put on the building, and the building itself was set on fire. Finally, separatists pushed the law enforcement from the administrative building and appointed 'their’ people instead. From then on, the basement of Horlivka MoI department has been used to detain prisoners.
According to the victims, there were two basements - dry and wet. The former was also the last room from the entrance. It had no doors or windows, and there was a thin mattress the floor. There were pipes and radiators on the walls.
The worst option for the prisoners was the so-called 'wet’ basement which had water and a lot of duct tape. There were two chairs and a metal box with sand. The door was blocked with something from the outside.
There was no access to drinking water, and prisoners did not receive food. Air came in through a open barred window but there was a strong smell of decaying bodies, and it was hot in spring.
However, though the basement was completely unfit for accommodating people, it was nothing compared to inhuman treatment used by the staff against the prisoners.
Some witnesses were convoyed to the Horlivka basement with their eyes and ears covered. For instance, a blindfold was put on the head with duct tape on top. In addition, ears were closed with cotton so the prisoner would not find out where he was being taken.
A former prisoner remembers the moment of arrest:
“… Ihor 'Bes’ Bezlyer came out and said, ‘ That's it. Arrest [him]’. They tied my hands, and let me [walk]. We didn't see where we were going, it was impossible to see anything. Try took us down to this … basement”.
Some of the local prisoners were often interrogated: they were taken for a 'conversation’ every few hours, which made it impossible for prisoners to sleep normally.
The staff of Horlivka torture house had a special approach to torture: before interrogation, victims were forced to undress, and they would not get their shoes back, so some prisoners had to walk barefoot around the prison. In addition, separatists were beating people up professionally - they did not touch the face but inflicted serious damage to internal organs.
“Once, I was taken to the doctor. He examined me and sad that my condition was really bad. He said the only treatment for me was drinking water. He suggested to give me water and let me lie down. Then, a doctor came to see me once again. At that time, I was already wearing pants. He tried to pull my pants down, it was disgusting… The pants stuck to my body because of all the wounds, everything was rotting. He was pulling down those pants… On the third day, he just came and beat me up. This is what the medical assistance looked like”, says a person who miraculously survived hell.
Prisoners were given choice without a choice. To be released, they either had to serve in the ‘militia’ or give bail of 10 thousand hryvnya. Otherwise, they would be executed.
One of the prisoners found out through his own experience that execution was not a mere threat. He had to collect the remains of his friend tortured to death in the cell.
Horlivka MoI staff did everything they wanted to the prisoners: cruel torture (cutting off and drilling different body parts, hitting, torturing with a stun gun, psychological violence (mock executions). Prisoners did not receive any medical help afterwards.
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»
