Article 120 CCU: Driving to Suicide (Due to Torture)

Legal Qualification of Deaths Caused by Torture and Intimidation

Article 120 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (CCU) establishes criminal liability for driving a person to suicide or attempted suicide, committed through cruel treatment, blackmail, coercion into unlawful actions, or systematic humiliation of human dignity. In the context of armed conflict, this article is particularly important, as it addresses cases where occupation victims subjected to torture, sexual violence, or prolonged inhumane treatment in places of detention were driven to suicide.

Key Provisions of Article 120 (CCU)

The article has several parts differentiating responsibility:

Part 1 (Basic Offense): Driving to suicide (Penalty: Imprisonment up to 3 years).
Part 2 (Aggravated Offense): Driving to suicide of a minor, two or more persons, a helpless person, or a person dependent on the perpetrator (Penalty: Imprisonment from 5 to 8 years).

Psychological destruction: When occupation forces or their accomplices systematically apply psychological and physical pressure, threats, blackmail, and torture to detained civilians, resulting in their suicide, the actions of the perpetrators are qualified under Article 120 CCU together with articles on war crimes. Driving to suicide is a direct consequence of the occupiers violating fundamental human rights and international humanitarian law.

Documented Real-Life Examples

Kherson (2022): In a detention facility under Russian control, a man committed suicide after previously reporting electric shocks and threats to his family. Released prisoners testified that he was kept without sleep and food before his death.
Mariupol (2022): A woman, surviving several "filtration interrogations," took her own life a week after release. She had reported to relatives sexual violence and threats of being sent to the basement if she did not sign a confession.
Izyum (2022): A man was found dead in a basement after a series of severe beatings and torture, confirmed by medical examination. Locals reported he was repeatedly humiliated and threatened with death.
Crimea (2014–2023): Numerous cases of Crimean Tatars driven to suicide after FSB pressure: threats to children, blackmail through arrests, daily humiliating "interviews." Some families directly linked the occupiers' pressure to the deaths of relatives.

Connection with War Crimes

In cases where suicide is a direct result of torture (Article 127 CCU) or inhumane treatment (Article 438 CCU) by occupation forces, the perpetrators’ actions are classified as a serious war crime. Article 120 CCU in this context helps establish a direct causal link between the aggressor's criminal actions and the victim’s death.

Evidence of Violation (Consequences of Cruel Treatment)

Violations qualified under Article 120 CCU include:

Deaths in places of detention: Suicides of persons held in secret prisons, "filtration camps," or basements after torture, sexual violence, or prolonged deprivation of sleep and food.
Threats to relatives: Suicides of civilians following systematic threats of harm to their family members or as a result of blackmail.
Suicides after deportation: Deaths resulting from severe post-traumatic stress and intimidation after illegal deportation or occupation.

Legal Consequences

Application of Article 120 CCU in conflict conditions emphasizes that criminal liability arises not only for physical killings but also for deaths caused by psychological terror and inhumanity by the occupation regime. This facilitates comprehensive documentation of the full spectrum of aggressor crimes.

Article 120. Driving to Suicide