Brit charity worker ‘suffered unspeakable torture’ & body ‘missing limbs’ after being returned by Russia, Ukraine claims
UKRAINE claims Russia has returned the wounded remains of a captured British humanitarian worker who died in July.
Paul Urey's body showed signs of "unspeakable torture," Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba claimed.
His body reportedly had numerous cuts and missing body parts, according to Ukrainian officials.
Urey, 45, was captured by pro-Russian forces in the so-called Donetsk People's Republic in eastern Ukraine in April.
Russia accused the dad-of-two from Warrington, Cheshire, of being a hired foreign fighter, although in fact, the Brit was there as part of a humanitarian rescue mission.
Both tried to enter territory controlled by Russian forces through a checkpoint near the city of Zaporizhzhia to rescue a trapped woman and her family.
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He reportedly died on July 10, with Russian-backed officials putting his death in captivity down to "stress" and underlying health conditions.
Urey had type one diabetes and needed insulin.
In May, he was filmed in handcuffs by his captors explaining why he was in Ukraine, although it wasn't clear if he was speaking under duress.
If Kubela's torture claims are proven, it could contradict pro-Russian officials' statements that he died of natural causes.
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Official Natalya Nikonorova was quoted by Russian state news agency Tass at the time as saying: "He died of acute coronary insufficiency aggravated by pulmonary and brain edema."
Another official claimed he was also in a "depressed psychological state due to indifference to his fate in his homeland".
Mr Kuleba said on Twitter announcing the news: "Russians have returned the body of a British humanitarian worker Paul Urie [sic] whom they captured in April and reported dead due to 'illnesses' and 'stress' in July.
"With signs of possible unspeakable torture. Detaining and torturing civilians is barbarism and a heinous war crime."
He went on: "I express my deepest condolences to relatives and close ones of Paul Urie [sic]. He was a brave man who dedicated himself to saving people.
"Ukraine will never forget him and his deeds. We will identify [the] perpetrators of this crime and hold them to account.
"They won’t escape justice."
Detaining and torturing civilians is barbarism and a heinous war crime
Dmytro Kuleba
A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) spokesperson told The Sun: "We are disturbed by reports that aid worker Paul Urey may have been tortured in detention.
"It is essential that we see the results of a full post-mortem as soon as possible.
"Our thoughts are with Paul Urey’s family at this distressing time."
It comes after Urey's distraught family were reportedly told to pay £10k to get his body home by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Paul’s heartbroken mum Linda accused the diabetic’s Russian captors of "letting him die" by failing to care for him and branded the Russians "f***ing murderers".
In July, the UK Foreign Office summoned the Russian ambassador and said Moscow must bear full responsibility for Mr Urey's death in detention.
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Then-Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who this week became Prime Minister, said Urey had been captured while taking part in humanitarian work.
"He was in Ukraine to try and help the Ukrainian people in the face of the unprovoked Russian invasion," she said.
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