Torture and conflict related sexual violence during the Russian invasion of Ukraine

• In Event: Blind Spots of International and Transitional Justice Research? (ECACTJ Working Group)

Abstract

Torture and conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) are unfortunately widespread in many conflicts. Since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, torture and CRSV have become weapons of war employed by Russian Federation forces against Ukrainian civilians. Recent data from the Ukrainian government and several NGOs provide evidence of systemic torture occurring in all the now-de-occupied territories of Ukraine. The forms of torture and CRSV inflicted on Ukrainian civilians in these territories include forced imprisonment, electrocution, suffocation, beatings, public undressing and rape. Even though Ukrainian law enforcement and civil society organizations are actively involved in documenting war crimes, the process of eliciting testimonies, investigating and prosecuting those crimes remains complex. Drawing on available data from official Ukrainian and international sources, this paper critically examines the processes, pitfalls and challenges of addressing cases of conflict related torture and sexual violence during the Russian invasion of Ukraine at both the national and international levels.

Author

• Natalia Vibla, Liverpool Hope University