Disturbing photos reveal the horrific treatment of a Ukrainian Chernobyl guard detained in Russia captivity for more than two years before his release last month.
Roman Vasiliovich Gorilyk, one of 74 prisoners exchanged in a prisoner swap on May 31, is pictured, frail, with bones protruding after returning from dire conditions critics have claimed are in breach of the Geneva Conventions.
The former prisoner, a senior controller at Chernobyl power plant, was not involved in any fighting before his detention - but was 'taken hostage' by the Russians, dragged back through Belarus in March 2022, according to army hotline 'I Want to Live'.
During their entire time in captivity, the project claimed, neither Roman nor the other 74 prisoners were visited by observers from the International Committee of the Red Cross in violation of international law.
'The condition of Roman and other Ukrainian prisoners of war is horrifying and brings to mind the darkest pages of human history, Nazi concentration death camps,' the project wrote in an extended post on Twitter/X.
Roman, one of 74 prisoners returned to Ukraine in May. Despite allegedly having no involvement in the fighting, Roman was 'taken hostage' by Russian forces in March 2022
While Roman was released, as many as 89 from his group remain in Russian detention centres
The OCHCR has documented harrowing conditions of maltreatment and abuse in captivity
Roman was one of 169 National Guardsmen guarding the Chenobyl Nuclear Power Plant when Russian forces swept through in March 2022, just days after the outbreak of the invasion.
He and his colleagues were taken 'hostage' and moved out of Ukraine through Belarus, according to 'I Want to Live', a project set up withsupport from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence and Main Intelligence Directorate to guarantee protections to surrendering Russian personnel.
As many as 89 remain languishing in Russian detention centres, according to the project, 'and the Russian side is using them to exchange for Russian servicemen captured in battle'.
While prisoner swaps are legal and were oncecommon in war, 'I Want to Live' alleged that the prisoners were never visited by independent observers from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) - a breach of international law.
'Not allowing observers to see prisoners of war in violation of the provisions of the Geneva Conventions is a deliberate and targeted policy of the Russian authorities,' the group wrote on Twitter/X.
'This is done specifically so that the International Red Cross cannot record how the Russian side treats prisoners of war.
'To hide from the whole world Russia's inhumane treatment of Ukrainians, literally the policy of genocide of the Ukrainian people.'
Under the Geneva Conventions, the ICRC can offer humanitarian protection and assistance during armed conflicts - and warring countries must allow the ICRC to visit prisoners of war.
In their statement, 'I Want to Live' called on Russia to 'resolve the issue of prisoners of war and finally conduct an exchange according to the formula of 'all for all''.
'This is a humanitarian issue. The Russian must stop using the suffering of these people and their families as a weapon.'
'I Want to Live' is a state project set up for surrendering Russian military personnel, guaranteeing prisoners compliance with the Geneva Conventions on the Treatment of Prisoners of War, regular food, medical care, and communication with family.
Prisoners are also offered the possibility to apply for asylum in Ukraine or abroad, or exchange with Russia, and receive monitoring from the ICRC as well as legal support from other international organisations, according to the website.
Ukrainian policewoman Mariana Checheliuk endured two years in a Russian camp. Pictured: Checheliuk breaks down in tears as she is released and returned to Ukraine
The 24-year-old investigator with Ukraine 's national police endured relentless physical and mental torture at the hands of her captors
Both Russia and Ukraine have been accused of maltreatment of prisoners by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
The OHCHR said it had 'identified patterns of torture and ill-treatment of POWs held by the Russian Federation' as well as violations committed by Ukrainian state agents against prisoners, including sporadic cases of torture and ill-treatment.
In Russia, this included 'forc[ing]two wounded Ukrainian servicemen with broken legs to crawl about 500 meters to the closest Russian position', filmed and posted online.
Another reportedly died in an 'improvised detention facility' three days after capture 'because he was not provided with adequate medical assistance'.
Ukrainian prisoners interned in Russian camps 'in almost all facilities' were 'held in cells, sometimes overcrowded, without any time outside for exercise'.
Others held in improvised camps lacked sanitation and 'adequate living conditions' in the view of the OHCHR.
More than 80 per cent of returning prisoners complained about the quality or quantity of food, claiming meals were rotten or contained sand and small rocks.
Others described being given just 250g canned food a day for up to three months, and being forced to consume burning hot food in as little as 45 seconds.
Many returning have described poor sanitation resulting in widespread illness and infection, leading to people 'blacking out' from hunger and sickness.
Some have also made shocking allegations of torture. The OCHCR acknowledgedclaims of 'stabbing, strangling, attacks or threats of attacks by dogs, shooting with stun guns, threats with weapons, mock executions, placement in a hotbox or a stress position, hanging by hands or legs, burns with cigarettes or lighters, exposure to cold temperatures, threats of sexual violence coupled with actions such as stripping, and the twisting or breaking of joints or bones'.
Female prisoners described harrowing accounts of being made to undress and walk around naked, and being subjected to 'invasive examinations' in the presence of male guards.
Some described the 'tormented screams of male POWs being tortured or ill-treated in nearby cells'.
Prisoners in Ukraine have also described conditions of ill-treatment or torture. Many have complained of physical violence 'such as being punched in the face, and punched and kicked in the torso after surrendering'.
Some reported being packed into trucks or minivans after capture, stripped with their hands behind their backs.
In one penal colony, prisoners reported receiving 'welcome beatings' and being beaten with sticks or shocked with tasers for moving after being made to kneel for several hours.
The OCHCR also observed 'a pattern of poor or untimely legal aid'.
Last month, the UK government released a statement condemning Russia's 'torture and mistreatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war'.
Oleksandr, an evacuee from the frontline village of Lyptsi arrives in an armored vehicle at a checkpoint, outside Kharkiv, on May 13
Ukrainian servicemen of the 92nd Assault Brigade fire BM-21 'Grad' multiple rocket launcher toward Russian positions, in the Kharkiv region, on May 15
Law enforcement officers working at the site of a missile attack in Kharkiv in an image released on May 23, 2024
A Ukrainian serviceman of the 24th Mechanized Brigade prepares to fire a 120mm mortar towards a Russian position on the frontline on June 4, 2024
In a concluding statement, Ambassador Neil Holland said from Vienna: 'We call upon Russia to respect its international legal obligations.
'Russia should uphold the laws of war that it helped create, including 150 years ago in Brussels. Prisoners of war must not be subjected to torture.
'Their conditions of internment must be adequate, including access to sufficient food, clean water and medical aid.
'Russia must share the whereabouts of all prisoners and allow them to contact their families.
'Russia must allow humanitarian access to all places of detention.
'And all Ukrainians illegally detained – including our colleagues from the Special Monitoring Mission – must immediately be released.'
An ICRC spokesperson said: 'The ICRC has visited more than 3,000 prisoners of war (PoW) on both sides of the international armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
'When we visit a place of detention, we assess the conditions and treatment of PoWs and raise any concerns privately with authorities.
'We also share much-awaited news from their families and, whenever possible, provide items such as blankets, warm clothes, personal hygiene items and books.
'To date the ICRC does not have full access to all PoWs. We know many PoWs and civilian internees are still waiting to receive visits and we continue our efforts to access all of them.
'We also know that every day is full of uncertainty for their families who are looking for reassurance.
'Under the Third and Fourth Geneva Conventions the ICRC must be allowed to see all PoWs and civilian internees, have access to all places where they are held and be allowed to repeat visits as often as needed.
'All states are legally obligated to make this happen as they have all signed the Geneva Conventions. Any abuse of PoWs is not only prohibited under the Third Geneva Convention, but also profoundly unacceptable.
'We understand the frustrations of those families who wait in anguish with no news at all. Families have the right to know about the fate of their loved ones, whether they are alive, wounded, or dead.
'Many have waited anxiously for too long – they need answers today. We will not rest until we are able to see all PoWs, not just once, but repeatedly wherever they are held.'
