They have readily admitted to the hostage-takings, which have targeted local officials, pro-Ukraine activists, journalists, foreign monitors, aid workers, and generally all those deemed critical of the self-styled “People’s Republics” formed last month in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

And with the separatist movement getting more organized, the abductions appear to have taken on a systematic, methodical nature.

“I would not call these isolated incidents; we definitely can see a pattern,” says Anna Neistat from Human Rights Watch (HRW), who recently traveled to the Donetsk region to investigate the kidnappings.”Every single day I would receive reports about yet another person being either abducted or released after being subjected to beatings and torture in captivity,” she says.

According to Neistat, the victims she interviewed suffered “horrendous” violence and acts of cruelty that in many cases led to serious injuries.

Read more: http://www.rferl.org/content/eastern-ukraine-torture-weapon/25387572.html#ixzz31yjIovG0

www.businessinsider.com/pro-russian-militias-are-torturing-people-in-ukraine-2014-5