Over 14,000 Ukrainian civilians are currently detained in Russian facilities, according to the International Society for Human Rights (ISHR).
During a press conference in Frankfurt on September 30, the organization called on the global community to address the situation of these detainees.
According to the ISHR, many civilians who have returned to Ukraine report serious injuries, including bone fractures and concussions, resulting from torture and inhumane treatment.
Survivors, like Olena Yahupova from Zaporizhzhia, shared harrowing details of their imprisonment.
"I endured hell in that prison," Yahupova said, recounting her experiences of torture and sexual violence.
Another former detainee, Oleksandr Tarasov from Kherson, spoke about being tortured with electric shocks during his year-long detention.
Both survivors called for international justice, urging personal sanctions against those responsible for these human rights abuses, including judges and law enforcement officials involved in the detention of Ukrainian civilians.
The ISHR is working closely with the Ukrainian organization “Civilians in Captivity” to secure the release of more than 60 individuals. Olena Tsyhipa, a board member whose journalist husband is imprisoned in Russia, appealed to German politicians to help create a mechanism to return detained civilians.
Ukraine’s Human Rights Commissioner, Dmytro Lubinets, previously confirmed that over 14,000 civilians are being illegally held by Russia, aligning with ISHR’s data. Lubinets also emphasized the challenge of returning civilians, as they are not included in formal military prisoner exchanges.
With 55,000 individuals currently registered as missing, the fate of many Ukrainian civilians is still uncertain. Human rights groups continue to push for international pressure to release those unlawfully detained in Russia.
