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Ukrainian POWs face torture, violence and execution in Russia

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Ukrainian POWs face torture, violence and execution in Russia

Nine out of 10 Ukrainian prisoners of war are subjected to physical and moral torture, according to the Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin. But many are executed before they are taken prisoners.

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Physical and moral torture, sexual violence, illegal sentencing and violent execution — this is what Ukrainian prisoners of war are going through once in Russian captivity. 

Ukrainian prosecutor general Andriy Kostin says up to 90% of all returned POWs stated they have been subject to torture in Russian prisons, a stark violation of the third Geneva Convention, of which Moscow is a signatory.

Yet, Russia is “determined to ignore the rules of war,” Kostin said.

The third Geneva Convention — one of four treaties in total — sets out specific rules for the treatment of prisoners of war, stating that the POWs should be treated humanely, adequately housed and provided sufficient food, clothing and medical care.

According to it, humanitarian activities, including those of the International Red Cross (ICRC) or any other impartial humanitarian organisation that may be undertaken to protect and relieve prisoners of war, should not be hindered.

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And although the ICRC says it has visited almost 3,500 POWs both in Ukraine and Russia, it admits that “to date the ICRC does not have full access to all POWs”.

Ukrainian soldiers who have returned from Russian captivity and the families of those still in Russian prisons all say they have no contact and no information with those held in Russia, meaning they do not even know if the POWs are alive.

The only way to get any information about Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russia was to wait for the POWs exchanges, when either a soldier would come back home or if one of those who returned had more information about those staying in Russia, they told Euronews.

Serhii Rotchuk, Azov Brigade officer, combat medic and defender of Mariupol, spent one year in Russian captivity, where he was subject to torture, abuse, and physical and mental violence.

He told Euronews that he saw his fellow servicemen in Russian captivity being in a bad state in terms of health and morale.

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“Almost all of them clearly have some kind of health problems. They are held in rather difficult conditions without proper medical support,” Rotchuk said.

“If they need medication or have certain diseases, they are held in rather difficult conditions and are constantly subjected to torture, bullying, physical or moral violence.”

Waiting for POWs to come home

Yevheniia Synelnyk has not heard from her brother Artem in two years. He is one of the Mariupol defenders who have become a symbol of Ukraine’s resistance with their fierce defence of the Azovstal steel plant during three months of the full-scale invasion when the port city was under siege.

She said the last thing she heard was that her brother had been transferred to a prison in Taganrog, a city in Russia’s Rostov region, where conditions for prisoners are said to be appalling.

She learned this from other POWs who met Artem while in captivity and then shared tidbits of information with her after being exchanged and returned to Ukraine. 

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Yevheniia is also a representative of the Association of Azovstal Defenders’ Families, created in June 2022, shortly after about 2,500 Ukrainian soldiers surrendered to Russia on the orders of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the siege of the Azovstal steel plant in May of that year. 

The association’s spokesperson, Marianna Khomeriki, told Euronews that the international organisations are not doing enough, and the families’ only hope is for Ukrainian forces to take Russian soldiers prisoners or “replenish the exchange fund by capturing occupiers”.

“We can use this fund to save the lives and health of our military who are captured by the Russians,” she explained.

Khomeriki noted that the Russian command “in general do not want to get their people back”.

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Moscow is especially reluctant to exchange Mariupol defenders, and they were only exceptionally included in a recent POWs swap in exchange for the Chechen Ramzan Kadyrov’s soldiers, taken prisoners since the beginning of the Kursk incursion. 

Kursk execution a sign of broader intent?

Meanwhile, Russian forces executed nine Ukrainian prisoners of war near the village of Zeleny Shlyakh in the Kursk region just last Thursday, Ukrainian open-source investigations have claimed.

The US-based Institute for the Study of War think tank analysed an image of the aftermath of the execution, saying that “it suggests that Russian forces disarmed, lined, stripped, and shot the Ukrainian POWs — a clear indication of the premeditated nature of the executions.”

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The ISW says it has recently observed an increase in Moscow forces executing Ukrainian POWs throughout the theatre, adding that Russian commanding officers are likely writ large condoning, encouraging, or directly ordering them.

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Rotchuk says the Russian military is not making a secret of it. “They spoke directly about it, that they had an order, as they said, to either catch or not to deal with prisoners. This is almost a direct quote from their representative of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation,” he explained.

“The Russian propaganda is aimed at inciting hatred towards Ukrainians. It is a state policy to destroy everything that is not Russian. And if someone doesn’t want to, if something doesn’t want to be Russian, or someone doesn’t want to be Russian, to belong to Russia, they have to die.”

Azov Brigade, the victim of propaganda

The Azov Brigade has been specifically targeted by this narrative. 

Nestor Barchuk, the brigade’s legal advisor, points out that for ten years, Azov did not receive Western weapons and training due to alleged links to far-right groups. This consequently greatly reduced the unit’s potential, he says.

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In June, the US lifted the ban, saying a vetting process didn’t find any evidence of gross violations of human rights by the brigade. 

“Who knows, if this ban hadn’t existed for ten years, perhaps the battle for Mariupol would have been different, and perhaps the map of the war would look different now,” Barchuk told Euronews.

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This hasn’t changed Moscow’s policy over Ukrainian POWs and specifically the Mariupol defenders. Around 900 Azov soldiers remain in Russian captivity, and some 100 have been given prison sentences for what Russian prosecutors label as “participation in terrorist organisation”.

Barchuk thinks this is a clear signal that Ukraine has to fight its way to liberating its imprisoned men and women.

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“The only way for Ukraine to bring back home all its defenders is to win the war,” he concluded.

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‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Alum Sarah Drew Says She Was ‘Unceremoniously Let Go’ From Medical Drama: It Felt ‘Mean and Unjust’

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‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Alum Sarah Drew Says She Was ‘Unceremoniously Let Go’ From Medical Drama: It Felt ‘Mean and Unjust’

“Grey’s Anatomy” alum Sarah Drew recently opened up on the “Call It What It Is” podcast about her departure from ABC’s long-running medical drama series in 2018. Drew, who played Dr. April Kepner for nine seasons beginning in 2009, was let go from the show after its 14th season along with Jessica Capshaw, who portrayed Dr. Arizona Robbins.

“We were unceremoniously let go in a way that felt mean and unjust, and, because of that, the outpouring of love was so enormous it was like you were sitting there watching people [eulogize you],” Drew said on an episode of the “Call It What It Is” podcast, co-hosted by her former “Grey’s Anatomy” co-stars Capshaw and Camilla Luddington.

After news broke in 2018 about her “Grey’s Anatomy” exit, Drew posted a statement on X, telling fans, “I know you’re sad. I’m sad too. I haven’t really had the time to process this information. I’ve been with it for less than 48 hours, so I’m not ready to say my thank yous and give an all encompassing statement about my 9 years here.”

Drew has since reprised her role as April twice on “Grey’s Anatomy,” making appearances in Seasons 17 and 18. She told Capshaw and Luddington on the podcast that returning to the show as a guest star was “freeing.”

“I have no attachment to [the show] at all,” Drew explained. “I had zero anxiety [going back because] I don’t need anything from anyone on that set anymore. They’re not responsible for my livelihood anymore. They’re not responsible for my success or my joy… I’m like, ‘Hey! This is a fun spot to come visit.’”

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Elsewhere on the “Call It What It Is” podcast, Drew revealed that April was supposed to have a one-night stand in Season 7 with Dr. Mark Sloan, played by Eric Dane.

“Before they made my character love Jesus and a virgin, there’s a scene where Sloan and Reed [Nora Zehetner] have sex, a random one-night stand. That was supposed to be me originally. It was supposed to be April,” Drew said. “April was supposed to have some random one-off with Sloan and it was in the original production draft [of the script], and then they changed it. I didn’t have anything to do with it, but then they changed their mind.”

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SEE IT: Suspect discovered hiding in couch on police bodycam while serving arrest warrant

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SEE IT: Suspect discovered hiding in couch on police bodycam while serving arrest warrant

Police in the UK found their suspect in what they’re calling “a first” while executing a search warrant in an unlikely location, according to bodycam footage recently shared on social media.

Bedfordshire Police shared the video via Facebook in a post which now has over 138k views on the site. In the video, a suspect is seen from behind in his undergarments, hidden inside the base of a couch.

SEE IT: FLORIDA DAD TAKES MATTERS INTO HIS OWN HANDS WITH ALLEGED PROWLER AT DAUGHTER’S WINDOW

“Look, he’s hiding in the sofa,” said the officer to the suspect. “Out you come.”

“We’ve seen some things in our time, but we must say this is a first!” wrote the Bedfordshire Police on Facebook on October 11.

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Police officers in the UK had to lift up a couch to reveal their suspect hiding inside its base. (Bedfordshire Police via Facebook)

According to their post, the Biggleswade Community Policing Team was executing a warrant in Potton and “thought there was nothing more to be found in the property bar a friendly dog.”

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It may have been that friendly dog that led officers to the suspect, who was then discovered hiding in the base of the couch after officers lifted the furniture off the floor. The suspect was found wearing only his undergarments for unclear reasons.

Suspect hiding in couch base

The suspect was discovered in his undergarments hidden in the base of a couch by officers. (Bedfordshire Police via Facebook)

“We thought the man would be more comfortable tucked into bed, so he’ll be spending the next few hours in a custody cell – little less of a squeeze that way,” continued the Bedfordshire Police in their Facebook post.

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One top comment on their video reads, “Bet he was ace at hide n seek as a kid.”

Bedfordshire Police did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

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Takeaways from AP's report on euthanasia, doctors and ethics in Canada

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Takeaways from AP's report on euthanasia, doctors and ethics in Canada

TORONTO (AP) — Canada has arguably the world’s most permissive system of euthanasia — the practice of doctors and nurse practitioners killing patients with an injection of drugs at their request. Canada allows euthanasia for people who aren’t terminally ill but are suffering unmanageable pain.

As Canada pushes to expand euthanasia and more countries move to legalize it, health care workers here are grappling with requests from people whose pain might be alleviated by money, adequate housing or social connections. And internal data obtained exclusively by The Associated Press from Canada’s most populous province suggest a significant number of people euthanized when they are in unmanageable pain but not about to die live in Ontario’s poorest areas.

Here’s a look at the main takeaways from an AP investigation into euthanasia in Canada, commonly known there as medical assistance in dying, or MAiD.

Some doctors fear providing euthanasia, even in legal cases

Canada allows euthanasia for people with “irremediable suffering” from serious but nonfatal medical conditions and disabilities.

After euthanasia was legalized in 2016, doctors and nurses set up email discussion groups as confidential forums to discuss potentially troubling cases, with limited patient details. They’re now run by the Canadian Association of MAiD Assessors and Providers, an educational and research organization.

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Dozens of messages provided to the AP by a participant in the forums — on condition of anonymity, due to the confidential nature of the messages and cases — show a fraught process where medical professionals test the limits of what conditions warrant euthanasia.

In one case, a middle-aged worker whose ankle and back injuries made him unable to resume his previous job told his doctor the government’s measly support was “leaving (him) with no choice but to pursue MAiD.” His doctor told forum participants the patient met legal criteria, with severe pain, strained social relationships and inability to work.

Others agreed, but the doctor hesitated because the man cited reduced government payments as a key factor — and the doctor noted fear of being portrayed in the media as having euthanized someone “in a case where services were inadequate.”

Case of homeless people spark debate

Cases of homelessness appear regularly on the private forums.

One doctor wrote that although his patient had a serious lung disease, his suffering was “mostly because he is homeless, in debt and cannot tolerate the idea of (long-term care) of any kind.” A respondent questioned whether the fear of living in a nursing home was truly intolerable. Another said the prospect of “looking at the wall or ceiling waiting to be fed … to have diapers changed” was sufficiently painful.

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One provider said any suggestion they should provide patients with better housing options before offering euthanasia “seems simply unrealistic and hence, cruel,” amid a national housing crisis.

Data suggest marginalized people are affected

Government officials have largely refuted the idea that socially disadvantaged people are being euthanized.

But in Ontario, more than three-quarters of people euthanized when their death wasn’t imminent required disability support before their death in 2023, according to data from a slideshow presentation by the province’s chief coroner, shared with AP by both a researcher and a doctor on condition of anonymity due to its sensitive nature.

Of people killed when they weren’t terminally ill, nearly 29% lived in the poorest parts of Ontario, compared with 20% of the province’s general population living in the most deprived communities, the data show.

The figures suggest poverty may be a factor in Canada’s nonterminal euthanasia cases.

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But Dr. Dirk Huyer, Ontario’s chief coroner, told AP that the data was only an early analysis and “it’s tough to know exactly what it means,” saying that his job was only to present the statistics.

Poverty doesn’t appear to disproportionately affect patients with terminal diseases who are euthanized, according to the leaked data. Experts say no other country with legal euthanasia has seen a marked number of deaths in impoverished people.

Overall for Ontario, the data show, nonterminal patients account for a small portion of all euthanasia cases: 116 of 4,528 deaths last year. But the presentation and discussion among Ontario officials and medical professionals show rising awareness of euthanasia deaths for social reasons.

Privately, officials admit concern

Canadian officials have examined worrisome cases that haven’t been publicly disclosed.

A document from the Ministry of the Solicitor General in Ontario sent to all euthanasia providers in the province in May noted two cases of “lessons learned” in nonterminal cases. The document was shared with AP by a doctor on condition of anonymity because it wasn’t authorized for release.

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In one, a 74-year-old patient who’d suffered blood pressure, a stroke and blindness was increasingly dependent on their spouse. The patient told their doctor they were interested in euthanasia, citing deteriorating vision loss and quality of life.

Among other issues identified, officials wrote the patient’s euthanasia was scheduled “based on the spouse’s preference of timing” and questioned whether “the patient’s death was genuinely voluntary.”

Canada pushes boundaries

Theo Boer, professor of health care ethics at Groningen University in the Netherlands, said that unlike other countries with legal euthanasia, Canada appears to be providing it for social reasons in some cases.

“That may be what Canadians want, but they would still benefit from some honest self-reflection about what is going on,” he said.

Some of that reflection is happening in the confidential providers’ forums. They’ve debated whether it’s valid to euthanize people for obesity in several cases. They’ve also beem divided over ending the lives of people in mourning.

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Canada’s government said it legalized euthanasia to reduce suffering and support individual autonomy — and polls have consistently shown public approval.

But its laws are now being challenged on all sides. The advocacy group Dying with Dignity filed an August lawsuit in Ontario, alleging it’s “discriminatory” to exclude mentally ill people from euthanasia. Meanwhile, a coalition of disability-rights organizations in another lawsuit argued that euthanasia legislation has resulted in the premature deaths of people with disabilities.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. This story also was supported by funding from a Pulitzer Traveling Fellowship grant. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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