Russian doctors involved in torture of prisoners, says UN expert report

Doctors and aesculapian unit successful Russia are progressive successful the torture of governmental prisoners, according to a study by a UN Human Rights Council expert.

Mariana Katzarova, the UN Special Rapporteur connected quality rights successful Russia, documented astatine slightest 50 cases of abuse.

“Unfortunately, repression wrong Russia is escalating,” the Bulgarian adept said Monday successful Geneva portion presenting her report.

Katzarova described a authorities strategy built connected fearfulness and punishment, wherever governmental prisoners are persecuted, tortured, silenced, and forced to acquisition psychiatric treatment.

Anti-terrorism laws are wide utilized against dissenters: “Many are successful situation not for crimes but for their courage,” she said.

She noted that she had spoken with much than 200 Russian and planetary quality rights organizations, from which she received astir 100 reports.

Russia is not cooperating with the investigation, the Foreign Ministry successful Moscow said up of the session, and it did not respond to the latest report.

The UN rapporteur referred to the lawsuit of a Ukrainian worker who was wounded portion successful captivity. A doc performed the cognition correctly but past branded the soldier’s abdomen with the words “Glory to Russia.”

In different cases, aesculapian unit were actively progressive successful torture with electrical shocks and instructed torturers connected the procedures to follow.

Doctors allegedly stood by idly portion prisoners were beaten and abused. Other detainees were subjected to forced psychiatric treatments.

Between aboriginal 2024 and mid-2025, astatine slightest 912 radical were prosecuted connected governmental grounds, portion 390 were detained. Many were arrested for their peaceful protests against the warfare successful Ukraine.

The UN Human Rights Council is composed of 47 subordinate states, each elected by the UN General Assembly for a three-year term. The Council tin name autarkic experts by ballot to study connected the quality rights concern successful circumstantial countries, regions, oregon connected thematic issues.