150 people were put through torture in Kupyansk: 18 people involved in the abuse were notified of suspicion

Suspicions have been served to 18 people involved in the torture of civilians in a torture chamber during the temporary occupation of Kupiansk, Kharkiv region. This was reported by The Office of the Prosecutor General and The National Police.

The torture chamber operated from March to September 2022 on the territory of the Kupiansk District Police Department. The police clarified that at least 150 people were illegally detained in the torture chamber, including two dead and 10 missing Ukrainians.

Prosecutors identified 18 people involved in torture or guarding the illegal detention facility. They were notified of suspicion of violation of the laws and customs of war committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy.

In particular, the so-called head of the so-called "Department of Internal Affairs of the Temporary Civil Administration of Kharkiv Region" illegally established by the occupation forces, Russian military, militants of the terrorist DPR and LPR, as well as former police officers who defected to the enemy were suspected.

Some of the suspects are also additionally charged with collaboration.

Law enforcement officers documented numerous cases of ill-treatment of the population. People were held in inhumane conditions: unsanitary conditions in the cells, lack of water and medical care. The living space per detainee was critically small, and the food was mostly scraps from the occupiers.

People were beaten with hands, feet, sticks, and electric shocks. During the torture, victims were forced to give false testimony about themselves or others, to confess to cooperation with the Armed Forces of Ukraine or the Security Service of Ukraine.

Detainees were threatened with murder, torture of their loved ones or detention of relatives. In some cases, the torture took the form of psychological terror – imitating executions or forcing them to dig graves for themselves and others.

After the de-occupation of Kupyansk, law enforcement officers identified more than 110 victims. These are teachers, rescuers, combatants, government officials, volunteers and other civilians.

Two of the suspects were notified of suspicion in person. The other two were served in absentia and will be put on the wanted list.

• On June 19, it became known that Russia's chief jailer Arkady Guestev, who created a network of torture chambers in Kherson region, was convicted in absentia in Ukraine. He received 10 years behind bars.
• On July 1, the SBU served suspicions to nine Russian military officers involved in mass torture of civilians during the temporary occupation of Kyiv region.