Ukrainian charged with cruel treatment of prisoners of war
Ukrainian law enforcement officials have charged Volodymyr Polupoltynnykh from the Luhansk region in absentia for participating in the torture of captured Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemen in 2022.
The Security Service of Ukraine reported that Volodymyr Polupoltynnykh, commander of an illegal motorized rifle regiment of the self-proclaimed LPR, was involved in the abuse of Ukrainian fighters, one of which involved carving the symbol “Z” on a prisoner’s forehead. The incident took place on June 10, 2022, in the occupied territory of Pervomaisk in the Luhansk region, where Ukrainian defenders were beaten and humiliated.
Polupoltynnykh, a resident of the occupied part of Luhansk, joined Russian-controlled armed groups in 2014. He is suspected of violating articles of international conventions regarding the treatment of prisoners. These actions entail a penalty of up to 12 years in prison.
The SBU reported that his actions were classified as cruel treatment of prisoners of war, committed by a group of persons. This is part of a broader wave of suspicions concerning numerous human rights violations in the occupied territories.
According to the Office of the Prosecutor General, along with Polupoltynnykh, other individuals involved in violence against Ukrainian citizens in the occupied lands are also suspected.
| Name | Charge | Article | Penalty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volodymyr Polupoltynnykh | Cruel treatment of prisoners of war | Part 1 Article 28, Part 1 Article 438 | Up to 12 years in prison |
