Ukrainian Victim "Tortured by Russian-Sponsored Militants"

>"I Was Tortured by Russian-Sponsored Militants," Ukrainian Victim Tells UN Rights Council

GENEVA, September 17, 2014 – Irina Dovgan, a Ukrainian woman who made international headlines after she was publicly abused by Russian-sponsored militants in eastern Ukraine, testified today before the UN Human Rights Council.

Invited by UN Watch, a Geneva-based human rights group NGO, Ms. Dovgan testified before the world forum about her torture one week before the council will hear a new report on the violence in eastern Ukraine.

"I do not understand why Russia, directly sponsoring my torturers, was recently elected to the Human Rights Council," she said. Dovgan asked the UN to demand that Russia refrain from carrying out any reprisal action for her testimony.

Below is the full speech and other relevant links.

• Video of UN Speech (in Russian)
• Video of UN Speech (English translation)
• Clip from Swiss TV Evening News
• Audio from Press Conference
• Text of Speech in Russian

Testimony by Irina Dovgan before UN Human Rights Council, on behalf of UN Watch, Sept. 17, 2014

Thank you, Mr. President.

My name is Irina Dovgan, I am a resident of Donbas in eastern Ukraine, the region occupied by the pro-Russian separatists. I am speaking on behalf of UN Watch.

On August 24, pro-Russian military groups took me out of my house, and falsely accused me of being a spotter for the Ukrainian artillery. In fact, I gave food, medicine and clothes for Ukrainian soldiers.

On August 25, I was taken to the city center of Donestk, wrapped in a Ukrainian flag and made to stand at the post with a sign: “I am a killer and an agent of killers."

One of the militants told people he would shoot me in the knee, and, indeed, he aimed and shot, barely missing my kneecap.

Another lifted up my shirt and made fun of my breasts. Passersby beat me, kicked me, spit at me in the face and took pictures with me.

For a period of four days I was beaten, tortured and continuously threatened with gang rape. Between interrogations, I was lying on the cold floor without food or water. I prayed for death.

Under torture, I gave the militants the PIN codes of family credit cards, passwords, and access to bank accounts. The cards were then used in Russia to withdraw our savings in Russian rubles.

My house and my son’s apartment were plundered in retaliation for my openness and speaking out. I continue to receive terrible threats, including against the safety of my 15-year-old daughter.

I survived thanks to the journalists who reported my story. But the longing for my home and my native land is still strong.

For my family, as well as for millions of other Ukrainians, today it is impossible to return home.

I want to believe that the world will be able to stop the aggressor who came to our land. I do not understand why Russia, directly sponsoring my torturers, was recently elected to the Human Rights Council.

I ask the United Nations to demand that Russia guarantee that I will not be persecuted for speaking the truth.

My name is Irina Dovgan, I am a resident of Donbas in eastern Ukraine, the region occupied by the pro-Russian separatists. I stand before you on behalf of UN Watch.

On August 24, pro-Russian military groups took me out of my house, accusing me with false accusations that I am a spotter for the Ukrainian artillery. In fact, I bought groceries, medicines and clothes for the Ukrainian army.

On August 25, I was taken to the city center of Donestk, wrapped in a Ukrainian flag and made to stand at the post with a sign: “I am a killer and an agent of killers.”

One of the militants told people he would shoot me in the kneed and, indeed, he aimed and shot, barely missing my kneecap. Another lifted up my shirt and make fun of my chest. Passersby hit me, kicked me, spit me in the face and took pictures with me.

For four days I was beaten, tortured and continuously threatened with gang rape. Between interrogations, I was lying on the cold floor without food or water, and prayed for death.

Under torture, I gave the militants the pin codes of family credit cards, passwords, access to bank accounts. The cards when then used to remove our savings in Russian rubles in Russia.

My house and my son’s apartment were robbed in retaliation for my frankness. I continue to receive threats. They also threaten the wellbeing of my fifteen-year daughter.

I survived thanks to the reporters. But the longing for my home and my native land is still strong. For my family, as well as for millions of other Ukrainians, today it is impossible to return home.

I want to believe that the world will be able to stop the aggressor, who came to our land. I do not understand why Russia, directly sponsoring my torturers, was recently selected to the Human Rights Council.

I ask the United Nations to demand that Russia guarantee that I will not be persecuted for speaking the truth.

Thank you, Mr. President.

ENDS

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