At least 3,800 Ukrainian civilians survived torture by Russians - PGO

At least 3,800 Ukrainian civilians have survived torture by Russians.

This is said in a statement published on the website of the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine, Ukrinform reports.

“Every day under the aggressor’s detention brings another round of torture and violence. To date, we officially know of 3,800 civilians who have survived torture at the hands of the occupiers. But the total number may be much higher. Over 1,100 criminal cases are being investigated concerning acts of torture, with more than 80 suspects of these war crimes identified; 18 of them have already been convicted,” the statement says.

Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin stressed that swift and decisive are needed to establish an effective international mechanism to free those unlawfully detained and hold accountable those who have committed crimes against them.

It is also noted that Prosecutor General's Office joined the campaign "All they want for Christmas is freedom," which aims to draw the world's attention to the problem of Russia’s detention of Ukrainian civilian prisoners. This is an initiative of the Center for Civil Liberties and the Assisto project.

“Thousands of Ukrainian civilians remain unlawfully detained by Russia. As we approach Christmas, a time of hope and unity, we urge the world to remember them and join efforts to secure their release and return,” Kostin stated.

As reported by Ukrinform, on November 19, Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets announced that Qatar was ready to help return civilian hostages from Russia.