The ruscists’ illegal prison was set up in Kupyansk district police department, where a ‘management center’ of the occupation administration was located during the russian invasion. The investigation established that in these premises ruscists kept and tortured locals who refused to cooperate with them.

Few of Kupyansk residents wanted to help the enemy, so the ‘prison’ was very overcrowded: in cells designed for 140 people occupiers held over 400 at a time. Illegally imprisoned citizens were forced to sleep standing up.

According to international conventions, such treatment is recognized as torture and is a cruel, inhuman type of treatment and punishment.

Investigators of the SSU Office in Kharkiv region are documenting atrocities and other war crimes committed by russian occupying forces against civilian population within criminal proceedings under Article 438 of the CCU (violation of laws and customs of war).