International
The World Organization Against Torture denounces possible crimes against humanity in Russia against Ukrainian civilians
Arbitrary arrests, torture, enforced disappearances, sexual violence and other abuses by Russian forces against civilians in Ukrainian territories can constitute crimes against humanity, denounces a report published by the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT).
The documentation of these practices between February and October 2022 in more than 20 detention centers by the OMCT together with the Ukrainian NGOs Media Initiative for Human Rights and the ZMINA Human Rights Center shows that “they are not isolated incidents” and are part of a “deliberate policy of torture.”
“These crimes reach the threshold of torture and persecution of a large political group, so they can constitute crimes against humanity,” the OMCT advisor for Europe and Central Asia, Maryia Kvitsinskaya, said in a statement.
The investigation presented on Thursday is based on interviews with victims and witnesses of 63 cases – 38 of torture and 25 of other ill-treatment – in the Ukrainian regions of Kiev, Chernigov, Zaporiyia, Donetsk, Kharkov and Kherson.
The OMCT denounces that after the control of some territories of these regions in 2022, the Russian army and special services began to persecute a large group of civilians who were loyal to Ukraine, opposed the occupation and had a negative attitude towards Russian troops, politicians or ideology.
The document speaks in this sense of “common signals” that were sought by the Russian military during the inspection procedures to identify Ukrainian citizens as “suspispious.”
They included, for example, the consumption of Ukrainian news or music, contact with relatives or acquaintances who served the country’s troops, donations in favor of the Army or photos with the national flag of Ukraine, the United States or the European Union, among others.
Those responsible for the report also warn that, as the invasion progressed, the Russian Army began to interpret these signs more broadly, targeting an increasing group of civilians.
This meant that, in addition to the people who were against the Russian occupation, many others were wrongly accused, representing 18 of the 38 cases documented in the report (48%).
In addition, among the tortured people interviewed there were also individuals from groups identified as vulnerable, including three women, five elderly people or a person with serious chronic diseases.
According to the report, all documented detention conditions violated the rules of international humanitarian law and human rights, with 28 of the 38 cases (73%) in which the conditions were “so deficient that they were equivalent to torture.”
Most of the victims were confined in cells in overcrowded conditions, in which there was hardly any room to sleep, often without natural light and located in very cold facilities in winter and very hot in summer.
In addition, in all the documented cases that are described as torture in this report, the victims were simultaneously subjected to multiple forms of physical and psychological abuse.
The use of sexual violence was also reported in seven of the 38 documented cases (18%), ranging from stabbing to the use of paralyzing pistols in the genital area to forced nudity and threats, castration or rape.
“Many interviewees described this experience as the worst of their lives, recounting the constant cries of horror of other detainees,” the head of the Documentation department of the Ukrainian NGO Human Rights Center ZMINA, Yelyzaveta Sokurenko, added in the statement.
The report demands in its conclusions section that the Russian authorities take immediate measures to put an end to these human rights violations.
They also ask for the intervention of Ukraine, the International Criminal Court and the international community to investigate the cases of torture and reported ill-treatment.
Finally, it is requested that those responsible for these abuses be held accountable, that support services be provided to victims and that their access to justice be guaranteed through international legal mechanisms.
International
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.
All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.
The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.
The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.
“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
International
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.
“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.
Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.
According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.
International
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.
The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.
Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.
Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.
The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.
Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.
Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.
In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.
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