In brief
Center for Civil Liberties expert Mykhailo Savva described detention sites across Russia and occupied territories, saying civilians face torture to extract confessions.
Russia holds Ukrainians at about 300 sites across its territory and occupied lands, Mykhailo Savva, an expert at the Center for Civil Liberties, told LIGA.net. His estimate covers detention facilities ranging from Crimea to Khabarovsk Krai, including pretrial detention centres, penal colonies and prisons.
Many detainees are initially held in unofficial locations such as garages, basements and warehouses before they may be transferred to formal facilities, Savva said. He said civilians face more intensive torture during this initial stage to extract confessions that Russian authorities subsequently use to open criminal cases.
Transfer to an official facility does not necessarily give a detainee a clear legal status, Savva said. He also described detention incommunicado: people cannot contact their families and often cannot obtain legal assistance.
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