Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
It puts them on the same list as organisations like Hamas.
For the first time in over fifteen years, the United Nations has added both Russian and Israeli forces to its annual blacklist of parties suspected of committing conflict-related sexual violence.
The Associated Press reported on May 29 that the comprehensive report names seventy-seven different groups across a dozen nations.
Hamas was put on the same list last year.
The inclusion sparked immediate fury from Russian diplomats. Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia fiercely dismissed the claims.
“We will write a letter to the secretary-general saying that these are unsubstantiated lies and allegations which, once again, portray Russia as a villain, like they do all the time,” Nebenzia said.
Horrific findings verified
Despite being denied access to detention centres by local authorities, UN investigators verified hundreds of serious violations.
In Ukraine, teams confirmed 310 cases of sexual abuse against prisoners of war and civilians by Russian security forces, with most victims identified as men.
The news follows statements by Ukraine’s Human Rights Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, who announced that Russia uses nearly seven hundred distinct torture methods.
Detainees endure starvation, electric shocks, and a scalp-tearing haircutting method known as “the barber”.
“Prisoners of war are strangled, beaten, subjected to electric shocks, attacked with dogs, and sometimes forced to stand in one place for up to 18 hours. And as soon as you begin to squat, you are immediately physically beaten,” Lubinets said, according to United24Media.
Israel slams Secretary-General
Israel’s Foreign Ministry did not mince words when reacting to the news.
On X, the ministry posted a harsh condemnation of the decision, calling it “shameful and absurd”.
The ministry specifically slammed UN Secretary-General António Guterres, accusing him of “exploiting his final months as Secretary-General to fabricate baseless accusations against Israel, completely devoid of any factual merit.”
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Guterres’ term as UN Secretary-General ends on December 31 this year.
The UN document detailed patterns of abuse against Palestinian detainees in Israeli facilities.
Investigators verified cases involving fourteen men, seven women, and ten children.
The violations ranged from forced nudity to severe physical trauma.
Sources: Associated Press, United24Media, X post from Israel’s Foreign Ministry, The Times of Israel, Reuters, ABC News, The Jerusalem Post
