11 March 2025
UN Calls on Russia to Stop Torture and Provide Medical Aid to Crimean Political Prisoners
UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Alice Jill Edwards, has called on Russia to immediately provide comprehensive medical assistance to Ukrainian civilians unlawfully imprisoned in Russia. She emphasized that all eight documented cases reviewed in her report concern individuals with serious medical conditions, some of which are life-threatening.
“Ukrainians detained in Russia are in a dangerous situation. I remind the authorities that every person in custody must be treated humanely and with dignity, which includes access to adequate medical care,” stated Alice Jill Edwards.
Alice Jill Edwards noted that hundreds of Ukrainian civilians have been deprived of their liberty in Crimea since the start of Russia’s occupation 11 years ago and continue to be unlawfully detained. Many of them are held for political reasons, while others have been wrongfully charged with alleged “terrorism”-related crimes. Numerous detainees have been illegally transferred from occupied territory and are now imprisoned in the Russian Federation, far from their families and legal representation.
The UN Special Rapporteur emphasized that the cases of unlawful detention she examined involve individuals with severe health conditions, some of which are life-threatening. She also highlighted that at least two prisoners had been brutally beaten by prison administrations, with one case of torture resulting in a spinal fracture. Three detainees with disabilities are not receiving the necessary medical care appropriate to their condition.
“In all eight cases I examined, the detainees have serious medical issues, some of which are reportedly life-threatening. Urgent action is needed to protect their lives,” emphasized the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
One of the most striking cases reviewed by the UN is that of Iryna Danylovych, a nurse, human rights defender, and citizen journalist from Crimea. Danylovych openly criticized the state of healthcare in Crimea, highlighting the lack of medical supplies in hospitals and violations of healthcare workers’ rights. In April 2022, she was abducted by FSB officers from a bus stop in Feodosiia. For two weeks, there was no information about her whereabouts—during this time, she was held in the basement of an FSB building, where she was interrogated, threatened with execution, and subjected to physical pressure to force a “confession.” After refusing to comply, she was transferred to a pretrial detention center, and an occupation “court” sentenced her to seven years in prison on fabricated charges of possessing explosives.
While in Russian detention, Iryna Danylovych began experiencing severe ear pain, hearing loss, constant headaches, and coordination issues. According to human rights defenders, there are grounds to believe that she suffered a stroke. Despite multiple appeals, the prison administration continues to deny her proper medical care, putting her life at serious risk.
The report by Alice Jill Edwards also mentions the case of Emir-Usein Kuku, a Crimean Tatar human rights activist who was abducted and beaten by FSB officers in 2015. As a result of the torture, he suffered a spinal fracture yet was denied any medical assistance. He was later sentenced to 12 years in prison on fabricated charges of “terrorism.” The political prisoner has been denied proper medical treatment for years, suffers from leg swelling and severe kidney pain, and was recently subjected to emergency surgery. However, no information has been provided regarding the nature and consequences of the medical procedure.
“This is happening more than a year after my assessment that torture and ill-treatment are part of Russia’s military policy. Torture continues to be used in an organized and systematic manner. Russia must put an end to these abuses without further delay,” emphasized the UN Special Rapporteur.
We call on the international community to increase pressure on Russia to secure the release of Ukrainian political prisoners and end systematic torture. The ongoing repressions against Crimean activists serve as further evidence that Russia continues to violate international law and deliberately seeks to silence those who resist the occupation.