The Criminal Investigation Division of the DPR Prosecutor General’s Office investigates a case opened against AFU military, other paramilitary forces and law-enforcement officers of Ukraine for the mistreatment of war prisoners and civilians, on acts constituting a crime under Article 427, Section 1 of the DPR Criminal Code (use of prohibited means and methods of warfare), the law-enforcement agency’s press service reported on January 10.
During the investigation into this criminal case, 60 people have been questioned and registered as victims. They were transferred by Ukraine as part of the exchange between the Donetsk People’s Republic and Ukraine on December 29, 2019, including persons who served in the militia and the armed forces of the Republic, former officers of the Ukrainian Internal Affairs Ministry’s Berkut Special Force, members of the Anti-Maidan movement and other persons illegally arrested by law-enforcement officers of Ukraine.
It has been established that the AFU military, personnel of other paramilitary forces and law-enforcement officers of Ukraine violated international rules of the humanitarian principles guiding respect for the human person, as well as violated provisions of Article 3 (a), (c) of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, as of August 12, 1949; Articles 3, 5 and 6 of the European Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, as of November 4, 1950, prohibiting infringement on life, bodily integrity, mutilation and ill-treatment, torture and torment, as well as the use of any actions degrading human dignity. They resorted to torture, physical and mental abuse against the victims in order to force the latter to make confessions and false accusations against themselves and their acquaintances of committing serious and gravest crimes.
At present, investigators of the Prosecutor General’s Office are collecting evidence against the AFU military personnel, officials and representatives of Ukrainian authorities who used torture, physical and mental violence against the war prisoners and civilians. Forensic medical examinations of the victims and other investigative actions have been arranged and are being carried out.