Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union (UHHRU) has recorded about 110 facts of hostage-taking and abuse, including about 30 cases involving civilians from Donetsk and Lugansk regions. The overwhelming number of cases are relating to the facts of ill-treatment and torture, as well as the facts of hostage-taking in order to further their redemption or exchange. Today UHHRU may present the following "typical" cases in this sphere. April 25, 2014, Slavyansk. During a visit to the city as a tourist gr.Ch. was arrested together with his friend on the street by two armed men allegedly "by order of the mayor." They were delivered to the Region Security Service building, where they were accused of organizing the protests on the "Right Sector�. In the compound one of the guards had stabbed gr.Ch. with bayonet of his Kalashnikov rifle in the forearm, deeply wounding and causing heavy bleeding. Then the same person had hit gr.Ch. with a rifle butt on the head and then was beating him while he had been lying down. Unknown persons also poured boiling water on gr.Ch.’ head and set fire to his hair. During further questioning gr.Ch. got another 26 blows with a rifle butt, was beaten with a whip and legs. The beatings had been accompanied by the threat of execution. As a result of the beatings one rib of gr.Ch. was broken to 21.00 h. on the same day. Gr.Ch. with a friend, handcuffed, with eyes and mouth sealed by Scotch tape, had been placed at the evening in the basement of the Regional Security Service building, where had been about six people who were held as hostage. For two days the victims were forbidden to go to bed, sleep or walk, and the unknown persons had come into the basement, regularly beating them. During his staying in hostage gr.Ch. had lost weight 10 kg, has received multiple injuries and limb contusion of the femoral nerve. He was released on July 4, 2014 during the capture Slavyansk under control of the Ukrainian side.
May 01, 2014, Slavyansk. During passage through Slavyansk gr.Yu., a disabled person (group III), had been arrested by militants so-called "DNR" and taken to the basement of the Regional Security Service building. There he spent a week blindfolded, subjected to regular beatings and sleep deprivation. After that, he, as a part of the same hostages, had been driven to work on trenches digging and building of the fortifications. He has been denied in health care, and his health was not taken into account in the allocation of heavy physical work. He was released on July 4, 2014 during the capture Slavyansk under control of the Ukrainian side. August 28, 2014, Donetsk. Gr. Sh. and gr. P. were detained by unknown persons on suspicion of supporting the state policy of Ukraine and placed in the cell of the Regional Security Service building. After gr.P. had handed over the keys from his apartment to unknown representative of the separatists, they were released on September 02, 2014, with the simultaneous replacement of punishment for forced labor in the dining room and under the house arrest. July 21, 2014, Lysychansk. Gr.E. was arrested by battalion "Aydar" during the evacuation of his grandmother (70 years) in Kharkiv, being in the private car. At the time of arrest gr.E. has already passed the checkpoint of the Kharkiv region and was on the territory, controlled by Ukraine. The further numerous contacts of relatives to the regional governor, the police authorities has revealed the fact that on the set of circumstantial evidence gr.E. is held captive by soldiers of the battalion "Aydar".
"Information has been prepared within the project "Human Rights in Action" with the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID); the project in Ukraine is implemented by Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union. Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union is responsible for the contents and it does not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government. " The American people, through USAID, provide economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for more than 50 years. In Ukraine, USAID provides assistance in areas such as economic development, democracy and governance, health and social sector. Since 1992, the US Agency for International Development to provide Ukraine with technical and humanitarian assistance in the amount of $ 1.8 billion. For more information about USAID programs in Ukraine can be found on the official website of USAID http://ukraine.usaid.gov and page in Facebook https://www.facebook.com/USAIDUkraine.