Joint Submission to the Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment, Alice Jill Edwards
This submission draws on the experiences of Ukrainian men and boys who have survived torture and conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) at the hands of Russian military forces and their auxiliaries. It has been jointly prepared and submitted by
Alumni, December 29th and ASP in response to the Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment call for input for her upcoming report on the experiences and perspectives of victims and survivors of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Our organisations commend the Special Rapporteur’s efforts to place victims and survivors at the heart of policies and measures to prevent, prohibit, investigate and punish crimes of torture, and to provide rehabilitation and reparations for victims and survivors. These priorities align closely with our organisations’ work in supporting survivors, amplifying their perspectives, and advocating for services, medical assistance, justice, and accountability.
This submission focuses on the experience of Ukrainian men and boys who have survived CRSV and other forms of torture and ill-treatment at the hands of Russian military forces and their auxiliaries. It highlights the extent and impact of CRSV in Ukraine on men and boys from survivors’ perspectives, including the barriers survivors face in reporting and receiving support, the need for specialised service provision and reparations, and the need for safe, survivor-centred pathways for investigation and justice processes.
This submission was prepared with the direct input of two individual representatives from Alumni and December 29th. Their contributions draw on both their personal experiences as survivors and their wider knowledge of collective patterns, including the experiences of other individuals and groups encountered through their work as organisers and activists. ASP supported the collation and organisation of this information, and the final text has been reviewed and agreed by all three submitting groups.
Some survivors have chosen to provide their names and identifying details for inclusion in this report. Others remain anonymous for reasons of privacy and security. Identifying information may therefore be published in full, withheld, redacted, or anonymised at the discretion of the Special Rapporteur, in order to safeguard confidentiality and survivor safety. Throughout this submission, the term “survivor” is used to emphasise agency, resilience, and the active pursuit of justice. In some sections, the pronouns “we” and “our” are used to reflect the voices and perspectives of survivors represented through Alumni and December 29th. While ASP supported the collation and organisation of this report, the first-person perspective belongs solely to the survivor organisations.
Alumni Network of Ukrainian Men Who Survived Captivity and Torture (Alumni) — a survivor-led network of civilian male survivors of Russian detention and torture in the context of the war between Russia and Ukraine. Established after the liberation of Kherson, Alumni provides peer-support and advocates for survivor’s’ access to services, medical assistance and justice.
December 29th —a survivor-led organisation, composed primarily of individuals who were imprisoned in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR) from 2014 onwards.
All Survivors Project (ASP) — an international non-governmental organisation that supports global efforts to eradicate conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) and strengthen national and international responses to it through research and action on CRSV against men and boys.
