Tue Sep 23 19:50:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary of the article and a rewritten news piece, formatted as if it were from *The Hindu*:

**Summary:**

A UN report released on September 23, 2025, details widespread and systematic torture of Ukrainian civilian detainees by Russian authorities in occupied territories. The report, based on interviews with released detainees, reveals severe beatings, electric shocks, mock executions, and other forms of inhumane treatment. The UN also documents extrajudicial killings and deaths in custody due to torture and inadequate conditions. While the report primarily focuses on Russian abuses, it also acknowledges credible accounts of torture and ill-treatment of civilian detainees by Ukrainian authorities, although on a smaller scale. The UN calls for prioritizing human rights in any peace negotiations.

**News Article:**

**UN Report: Russia Accused of Systematic Torture of Ukrainian Civilians; Ukraine Also Implicated**

*Geneva, September 24, 2025* – A damning United Nations report released Tuesday details widespread and systematic torture of Ukrainian civilian detainees by Russian authorities in occupied territories. The report, compiled by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, paints a grim picture of consistent patterns of serious violations of international law since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

“Our core finding is the systematic and widespread torture and ill treatment of detained Ukrainian civilians by Russian authorities,” said Danielle Bell, head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, speaking from Kyiv. She stated that Ukraine’s top prosecutor had recorded more than 15,000 civilian detentions by Russian authorities, with at least 1,800 still in custody.

The report, based on interviews with 216 civilians released since June 2023, reveals that 92% gave consistent and detailed accounts of torture and ill-treatment. Methods described include severe beatings, electric shocks, mock executions, threats of death, and various forms of humiliation. Investigators also documented the extrajudicial execution of 90 Ukrainian civilians in Russian detention, and a further 38 deaths in custody due to torture, poor conditions, or inadequate medical care.

“People have been arbitrarily picked off the streets in occupied territory, charged under shifting legal bases and held for days, weeks, months and even years,” said UN rights chief Volker Turk, emphasizing the urgent need for accountability.

The report also acknowledges instances of torture and ill-treatment of civilians detained by Ukrainian authorities. As of late July, Ukraine counted over 2,250 conflict-related detainees. Of the 409 conflict-related civilian detainees interviewed, 117 gave credible accounts of torture and ill-treatment in Ukrainian custody, with most cases reported in 2022. The report found that Ukraine has detained many of its own citizens on national security charges, including treason and espionage.

The UN calls for the prioritization of human rights for civilian detainees in any future peace talks.

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