Human rights activists: more than 20 prisoners were beaten in a Nizhny Novgorod colony

The Public Monitoring Commission (POC) for the Nizhny Novgorod region is checking reports of mass beatings and abuse of convicts in correctional colony No. 1, located in the village of Sukhobezvodnoye.

“On the evening of June 4, 2013, the Nizhny Novgorod Public Monitoring Commission began to receive reports of the massive use of violence against convicts serving their sentences in correctional colony No. 1 of the Main Directorate of the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Russian Federation in the Nizhny Novgorod Region,” says the POCmessage posted on the website of the Nizhny Novgorod public organization “Committee” against torture."

Human rights activists went to the colony, where they interviewed several dozen convicts. More than 20 prisoners said that on the afternoon of June 4, “employees of IK-1, together with employees of the special forces unit of the Main Directorate of the Federal Penitentiary Service, conducted searches in the premises of the punishment cell, cell-type premises and in several detachments, including a detachment for strict conditions of serving a sentence.”

According to those interviewed, during searches, special forces officers used physical force without any legal grounds. Some convicts were taken from the units to the punishment cell and PKT (cell-type premises), where special forces officers continued to beat them.

Human rights activists note that “the convicts were stripped naked, insulted” and beaten, forced to shout loudly “I am <RUDE>!”, “I am <RUDE>!”, as well as various chants glorifying the colony, the regime and the leadership of the IK. "Some convicts told representatives of the Public Monitoring Committee that bags were placed over their heads, thus blocking the air supply. Several statements reported threats of sexual violence. Those who fell unconscious were doused with water and beaten again. Some convicts reported that the beatings also continued on June 5 and 6,” the report notes.

Members of the PMC recorded numerous bruises and abrasions on the bodies of the convicts. At the same time, the victims were not provided with medical assistance; on the contrary, they were forced to write statements refusing to undergo a medical examination.

According to human rights activists, the colony staff denied the use of physical force against the convicts and stated that all this was a carefully prepared provocation, including the presence of bodily injuries - the prisoners allegedly inflicted them on themselves.

There are no official comments on the situation yet.

In November last year, in correctional colony No. 6 in the city of Kopeisk, Chelyabinsk region, a protest action by prisoners began due to the cancellation of “parents’ day.” About 300 people starved for 24 hours, after which they entered the territory of the colony and refused to return to the detachments. Some of them climbed onto the tower of the colony with banners saying “People, help!” The prisoners demanded to weaken the regime of detention, stop torture of convicts and release those in the punishment cell. Relatives of prisoners near the walls of the colony also staged a protest, but they were dispersed by riot police. 38 people were detained and taken to the police for violating public order.