A war crime was uncovered in the Kherson region: a woman was tortured and raped for three days

A Russian soldier is suspected of torturing, unlawfully detaining, and raping a resident of occupied Kakhovka. According to investigators, the woman was also held in inhumane conditions, and the perpetrators demanded $80,000 for her release.

This is stated in the charges filed by the Office of the Prosecutor General.

Law enforcement officials have notified Russian soldier Stanislav Asonov that he is suspected of committing a war crime.

Investigators established that in April 2022, in the temporarily occupied territory of the Kakhovka community, Russian military personnel abducted a local resident, Olga Sushko. The woman was detained right on the street near the central market in Kakhovka, forcibly put into a car, and, with a bag over her head, taken to a private house used by the occupiers as a place for the illegal detention of people .

According to the case file, the woman was interrogated about the whereabouts of her husband and son. When she failed to provide the desired information, the soldiers began to use physical violence. Investigators claim that one of the occupiers beat the woman, while Asonov struck her in the face, causing her to lose consciousness. Taking advantage of the victim’s helpless state, the suspect raped her. Later, other Russian soldiers joined in the sexual assault.

The document states that the torture and sexual assault lasted several hours. Afterward, the woman continued to be held in the garage of a private home. That same night, as well as two days later, he again participated in the abuse of the victim. One of the soldiers even filmed the incident on his phone and threatened to show the recording to her husband.

In addition, investigators established that money was extorted. According to their findings, on April 17, 2022, Asonov, along with other occupiers, demanded $80,000 from the victim in exchange for her release and the safety of her family members. The woman was threatened with the murder of her husband and son if the demands were not met. Only after she agreed to hand over the money was she taken away and left in an open area in Kakhovka.

During her three days of unlawful detention, the woman was held in unsanitary conditions. The garage had no windows, natural light, bed, mattress, or blanket. Food and water were provided in limited quantities, and there was no access to a restroom. Investigators believe that these conditions posed a threat to the woman’s life and health.

The Russian soldier’s actions were classified as cruel treatment of the civilian population and other violations of the laws and customs of war, committed by a group of individuals acting in concert.

A former deputy of the Russian State Duma, and now a senator representing the occupation administration of the Kherson region, was convicted of a war crime committed during the seizure of part of the region. The court found that he participated in the torture of a local teacher.

Анна Бальчінос