More than 100 Ukrainians were detained and later disappeared in Kherson, a southern Ukrainian city, during the Russian occupation, in what appears to be a planned campaign, according to a Yale American University study released Friday.
The Conflict Observatory, a research group at Yale University’s Department of Public Health whose work is supported by the US State Department, has documented 226 extrajudicial detentions and enforced disappearances in Kherson.
Torture and deaths in custody
Half of those imprisoned “do not appear to have been released”, according to the report, which stresses that their fate has been unclear since the withdrawal of Russian forces from Kherson on November 11.
A quarter of the 226 people affected were reportedly tortured and four died in custody or shortly thereafter.
Most of these acts were perpetrated by the Russian military and the Russian security services (FSB), according to the study.
The detainees and disappeared were mostly men of military age, including officials, civil society personalities, teachers, police officers and journalists, according to this source.
“These results give credence to a number of alarming allegations about the treatment of detainees, including deaths in custody, the widespread use of torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, looting of detainees, and sexual and gender,” says the study. .
A “premeditated” campaign
The investigators also explain that the profile of the prisoners indicates a “premeditated” campaign.
According to some sources consulted for this study, the Russians came with lists of names and license plate numbers, pointing to people who might resist their occupation.
Crimean Tatars were a particular target, with the Russians accusing many of belonging to “terrorist” Tatar groups, according to the report.
“This study shows that Russian forces must be held accountable for the crimes they are accused of committing in Kherson,” the academics say.
Source: BFM TV
