Russia must provide medical care to Crimean prisoners: UN torture expert – The Times of

Alice Jill Edwards, UN special rapporteur on torture (Image credits: AP) GENEVA: The UN’s top expert on torture called Monday on Moscow to provide immediate and comprehensive medical care to a number of Ukrainian civilians originally from Crimea being held in Russia.
Alice Jill Edwards, the United Nations‘ special rapporteur on torture, said she had “examined in detail eight cases out of the hundreds of Crimean Ukrainians detained by Russia”.
In all eight cases, she warned in a statement, “detainees have serious medical conditions, some of which are reported to be life-threatening”.
“Urgent action is needed to protect their lives,” said the independent expert, who was appointed by the UN human rights council but who does not speak on behalf of the UN.
Edwards determined last year that Russian armed forces and associated groups had systematically used torture in occupied areas of Ukraine since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022.
On Monday, she said she had also seen indications of torture of civilians deprived of their liberty since Russia’s 2014 occupation and subsequent annexation of the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea.
“Torture continues to be carried out in an organised and systematic manner,” she said.
“Russia must put an end to these abuses without further delay.”
Of the eight cases examined, Edwards said “the medical conditions they suffer are serious, including some caused by torture, and others aggravated by the conditions in which they are being held”.
She said at least two people required medical attention after being beaten by prison staff, with the violence in one case allegedly so severe that the victim’s spine was fractured.
In that case, human rights defender Emir-Usein Kuku allegedly suffered the spinal injury after a beating by Russian FSB security service officers in 2015.
His injuries were not treated, and he went on to suffer a slew of different medical conditions, Edwards said, adding that he remained in prison.
Many of the hundreds of civilians from Crimea deprived of their liberty “are allegedly being held on political grounds and some have been abusively charged with terrorism-related offences”, she said.
“Many have been illegally transferred out of the territory and detained within the Russian Federation, far away from family and lawyers.”
She also highlighted a consistent lack of medical care and poor detention conditions.
“There is often violence in detention. As a result, some have developed serious, even life-threatening, illnesses,” she warned.

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