By Peter Kenny
GENEVA (AA) – A UN expert said Friday she believes that credible allegations of torture and other inhumane acts committed by Russian forces against Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war constitute a "war policy."
Alice Jill Edwards, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, said at a UN press conference about a report she presented to the Human Rights Council, "These grievous crimes appear to be neither random nor incidental."
"In taking each case that I've looked at individually, I'm confident in my findings that these allegations are credible, and regrettably that they really point to Russia's war policy, that there is an intent and purpose to carrying out the torture and that it cannot be described away as aberrant behavior or ad hoc behavior," said Edwards.
"The report also details my visit to one of the Ukrainian prisoner-of-war camps to verify and check the conditions of detention and general standards of care for Russian prisoners of war, in which I found that the international standards were largely being met," she said.
In answer to a question, she said she had requested visits to Russia in November and at other times, some of which were not answered, but received a recent "note verbale," which rejected her visit.
"I have sought on multiple occasions to meet with the Russian authorities here in Geneva, and I will continue to do so so that I can exercise my mandate independently and impartially," said the UN expert.
She said, in answer to another question about a report from Israel on Thursday about the killing of 27 Palestinian detainees from Gaza in Israeli detention centers since October, she was investigating.
Edwards said she was "in the process stage of verifying" and "substantiating such allegations" but was unable to comment on the number of deaths mentioned.
- Israel visit requested
"I have also requested a visit to Israel, and I'm in discussions with the Israeli authorities," said Edwards.
Speaking about her report, Edwards said, "Far too many people are imprisoned, for too long, in severely overcrowded facilities.
"The link between poverty and incarceration is clear – people from disadvantaged or marginalized communities are far more likely to be imprisoned than other socio-economic groups," said the UN Special Rapporteur on torture.
"Significant challenges facing prisons are found in some form in almost every country," the UN expert said.
She explained that prisons are under pressure from too many demands, insufficient resources, and inadequate staffing, and as a result, conditions are "often unsafe and inhumane."
"The widespread neglect of prisons and prisoners in countries around the world has a significant social impact, exacerbating poverty and the likelihood of recidivism, and ultimately failing to keep the public safe," said Edwards.