52. Torture of detained civilian for raising national flag
Vovchansk (Kharkiv)
LOCATION: Vovchansk (Kharkiv)
DATE: March 8, 2022 and March 15, 2022
NUMBER OF WITNESSES: 1
SUMMARY: On March 7, 2022, the Witness and his subordinates raised the national flag of Ukraine on the square. The following evening, the Witness was arrested and his house was searched. The Witness and his family no longer lived in the house, but they had come to check on it on March 8. They were in the gazebo near the house when around three dozen occupiers drove up in six or seven cars, surrounded the house, started breaking into the gate, and climbed over the fence. The soldiers were wearing masks and St. George ribbons and spoke with a “Caucasian” accent. The Witness referred to one of the soldiers as a “local bandit.”
WITNESSES
The Witness of the incident was a male civilian, a pensioner, and a resident of Volchansk. He used to work as a police officer, was employed at an aggregate plant, and was also involved on the city council.
VICTIMS
Both the Witness mentioned above and his wife were victims of the incident. The Witness’ wife was also a civilian and resident of Volchansk who had worked as a secretary for the city council.
ALLEGED PERPETRATORS
as described by the witness(es)
The perpetrators were soldiers of the internationally unrecognized “Donetsk People’s Republic” and “Luhansk People’s Republic” and employees of the Russian FSB.