Tragic Brit ‘tortured by Putin’s thugs’: Sister speaks out in war of words with Russia as diabetic dies in prison after being arrested over false mercenary claims
- Paul Urey, 45, a diabetic, died behind bars in Russian-occupied Ukraine
- The father of two let his sister Lyndsey Coulton speak to the Foreign Office
- His death has sparked a heated diplomatic row between Britain and Russia
- Last night Secretary of State Liz Truss said: “Russia must bear full responsibility”
A British aid worker who died behind bars in Russian-controlled Ukraine was tortured by Vladimir Putinhis henchmen, his sister said last night.
Her claims about Paul Urey, 45, a type 1 diabetic, were shockingly backed by a human rights group, which said his death mirrored that of others who were tortured in Russian prisons.
Mr Urey’s sister, Lyndsey Coulton, spoke out after the Foreign Office informed the family of the father-of-two’s death. It came to the Donetsk region after more than 10 weeks of captivity in the hands of separatists. ‘[The Russians] did something to him, I think they tortured him,’ she said.
“Officially, he died of a chronic illness and depression, but I don’t think it was.’ She added: “More could have been done to save him. Why wasn’t he part of a prisoner swap?’ Vladimir Osechkin, founder of the anti-torture group Gulagu, supported their claims.
Paul Urey, 45, a British laborer who was captured by Russian forces in Ukraine on April 25, died in prison on July 10 of “illness and stress,” Moscow-backed separatists said
Linda Urey, Paul’s mother (pictured at the time he was originally captured), has branded his jailers “fucking killers” who “let him die”.
“Our source said on April 28, 2022 [Paul Urey] was held in the Donetsk Pre-Torture Detention Center, where torture experts from FSIN (the Russian penal system) and FSB (the Russian secret service) worked with him,” he said. “The Briton suddenly got colossal health problems related to the disrupted work of the kidneys and other vital organs. Exactly the same diagnoses are given by Russian prison doctors to those who are being tortured to death in prisons.’
Mr Urey’s death has sparked a heated diplomatic row between Britain and Russia.
Last night his mother Linda Urey, 62, who had a special bond with her son after he was put up for adoption after he was reunited, said of his captors: “Killers, that’s you, killers. I hate you all. I told you he was a sick man, I told you he was diabetic.’
Liz Truss has summoned the Russian ambassador and said the country must take “full responsibility” for Mr Urey’s death
Mr Urey, from Culcheth, near Warrington, had worked for the humanitarian organization Presidium Network, trying to rescue women and children from Ukrainian villages near the frontline. He was arrested at a Russian checkpoint on April 25 and accused of “mercenary activity”. Before his death, Mr Urey was being held on Ukrainian territory occupied by pro-Russian separatists.
They founded a people’s republic and swore allegiance to Moscow. Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) official Daria Morozova claimed that “British officials ignored the opportunity to negotiate his return” and claimed that they “failed to provide necessary medical care through the Red Cross”.
Secretary of State Liz Truss led a chorus of outrage last night, saying: “Russia must take full responsibility. He helped the Ukrainian people in the face of the unprovoked invasion. Those responsible will be held accountable.’
The UK’s refusal to recognize the DPR may have proved an obstacle to negotiations for the release of Mr Urey and those of other captured Britons. Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner await execution after being found guilty of being falsely accused of being mercenaries.
