More than 40 countries — members of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) — have called for an independent investigation into the torture and mistreatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war on Russian territory. The initiative was announced by Dutch Foreign Minister Kaspar Veldkamp on July 24, who emphasized that the situation involves systematic violations requiring international response. The list of supporting countries has not yet been disclosed.
The investigation is to be launched under the so-called OSCE Moscow Mechanism, which allows for international inquiries when one member state, with the backing of at least nine others, believes that serious human rights violations are taking place in another member country.
This mechanism has previously been applied to Russia: in 2018, due to reports of human rights abuses in Chechnya, and in 2022, after the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.
According to reports from the UN Human Rights Council, Ukrainian POWs in Russian detention are subjected to systematic torture. Cases of brutal beatings and electric shocks — including to the genitals — have been documented. This treatment is described as widespread and systematic.
The reports also identify Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) officers as being responsible for the abuse. International human rights organizations stress that such treatment may amount to crimes against humanity.
As of May this year, at least 206 Ukrainian prisoners have died in Russian prisons and colonies, most due to severe mistreatment and lack of medical care. These figures have been confirmed by forensic experts, Ukrainian officials, and international observers.
OSCE countries are demanding accountability and full adherence to the rights of POWs under the Geneva Conventions.