Ukrainian human rights lawyer Oleksandra Matviichuk has called for urgent international intervention following a report alleging that Russian medical personnel participated in the torture of Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war.
Matviichuk heads the Center for Civil Liberties, which jointly received the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize with Russian human rights organisation Memorial and Belarusian activist Ales Bialiatski.
The report, titled Anatomy of Torture, alleges that medical personnel denied detainees essential treatment, used tasers on prisoners and carved pro-Russian slogans into a Ukrainian soldier’s skin.
“We want to share this information to put pressure on Russia in order to save lives, because people are dying,” Matviichuk told Metro, describing the conditions faced by detainees as inhumane.
She recounted the testimony of a former prisoner who allegedly encountered medical personnel only after losing consciousness during torture. According to Matviichuk, the medics administered an injection to revive him, allowing the torture to continue.
She also cited the case of a Ukrainian soldier who reportedly woke up after surgery to discover that the words “Glory to Russia” had been carved into his skin. The soldier, she said, is undergoing a painful and lengthy process to remove the inscription following his return to Ukraine through a prisoner exchange.
Matviichuk argued that the alleged abuses were systemic, citing testimonies collected over 12 years, dating back to Russia’s occupation of Crimea in 2014. The organisation said it gathered evidence from former detainees, their relatives, open-source material and other independently verified information.
The report, written by four experts at the Center for Civil Liberties with support from the UK Government, also detailed allegations against a medical worker in Russia’s Republic of Mordovia, whom detainees reportedly nicknamed “Doctor Evil”.
One former prisoner alleged that the medical worker used a taser on detainees before giving them medication, while another accused him of participating in torture and ensuring victims remained alive.
Ukrainian human rights group KHPG identified the individual as Ilya Sorokin. According to the report, Ukraine’s Security Service charged him in absentia in December 2025.
Matviichuk said his arrest was not physically possible while he remained in Russia. She disclosed that submissions had been made to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague and called for an investigation into the alleged crimes against humanity.
She also urged the International Committee of the Red Cross to be granted full access to illegally detained civilians and prisoners of war, proposing the creation of a special medical commission to visit detention facilities in Russia.
In addition, Matviichuk appealed to medical professionals worldwide to challenge the alleged abuses, arguing that international professional pressure could discourage such practices.
The Center for Civil Liberties and other organisations also recently appealed to the World Health Organisation (WHO), urging it to intervene and defend the right to healthcare and medical ethics during armed conflict.
The appeal said the WHO had the expertise and international reach to draw attention to violations of healthcare rights and uphold medical standards.
However, the WHO declined to comment when contacted by Metro.
