"They made him cripple"

Activist Sergei Mokhnatkin holds a dry hunger strike. After beating, it requires transfer to the hospital to treat the spine

The human rights activist and civil activist Sergei Mokhnatkin, who was serving 4 and a half years of punishment in a colony in the city of Kotlas of the Arkhangelsk Region, has been holding a dry hunger strike for the fourth day. Mokhnatkin demands that he be hospitalized to treat a spine fracture.

According to the 62-year-old activist, on March 4, 2016 he was beaten by six colony officers after he lay down on the floor, protesting against the fact that the necessary documents were not in his case. As a result, Mokhnatkin has two vertebrae, and three more are damaged, and, according to his defenders, since then the activist does not receive adequate medical care and is actually tortured. Mokhnatkin announced the hunger strike on June 16, his defenders do not know whether it was initially dry or whether he drank water for the first days.

The announcement of the sentence Sergei Mokhnatkin in the Tver Court of Moscow, December 10, 2014. Mokhnatkin did not appear at the meeting

In December 2014, Sergey Mokhnatkin was sentenced to 4 and a half years of a strict regime for the use of violence against a representative of the authorities. Mokhnatkina was accused of hitting a police officer during a rally on the Triumphal Square in Moscow on December 31, 2013. Already in the colony against the activist two more cases were opened: for insulting the representative of the authorities and for disorganizing the work of the colony - after the incident on March 4. On the first charge of June 3, Mokhnatkin was sentenced to 11 months of imprisonment. Now the activist is in the investigative insulator of the city of Kotlas.

On the Internet, signatures are collected under the petition in support of Sergei Mokhnatkin , the main requirement of which is to hospitalize the activist. The authors of the letter also demand to initiate a criminal case against the colony officers who have beaten the activist.

Public defender Sergei Mokhnatkina Vladimir Stepanov , who came to Kotlas, said in an interview with Radio Liberty more about the hunger strike of the activist and the work of Arkhangelsk ships:

Since March 4, Mokhnatkin is actually not provided with medical assistance

- He has already lost 7 kilograms, and loses a kilogram per day. The situation is catastrophic, catastrophic due to the fact that the investigation, the prosecutor’s office and the Kotlas City Court do not work. There is incompetence. What is happening here is generally unacceptable. I wrote a statement to the justice of the peace so that I was provided with the case file under Art. 319 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Insulting a representative of power." - RS) , and she will think for three days, and then decide. I came from Moscow there, she has the case file, she must provide me with, but she does not give them. On March 4, we actually started protecting the health of Mokhnatkin, who was beaten into IK-4. It is documented that the colony officers made violations at least three articles: “abuse of authority” (Article 285 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), “excess of proper powers” (Article 286 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and “intentional infliction of serious harm to health” (Article 111 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). And still, they continue to repair arbitrariness and lawlessness!

Picket in support of Sergey Mokhnatkin in Moscow, April 30, 2016

- I understand correctly that these petitions to transfer him from pre -trial detention center to the hospital were never considered?

- No, they are not considered. The Code of Criminal Procedure says that they must be considered within five days, but the judge postponed the meeting on July 4. I went to the chairman of the city court, talked with him for an hour, took out part 3 of Art. 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, I read the letter of the law, and he still does nothing, no measures. Based on the case file, two sheets of complaints were written, but neither the Kotlas prosecutor nor the court are considering complaints. Do you understand what's going on here?! Complete incompetence, complete failure to fulfill judicial duties.

- Sergei himself is now in jail?

-Now he is in the pre-trial detention center-2. Already according to the documents it is clear that Mokhnatkin never had a spine, he never complained until March 4, before beating. After March 4, medical documents confirm that he had the pain, he began to stab painkillers, put a corset. He is going to the corset now. Mokhnatkin was damaged by five vertebrae. I immediately wrote a statement to the Investigative Committee on the criminal liability of the head of the FSIN of the Arkhangelsk Region, the chief of IK-4 and the head of the SIZO-2 Kotlas, and, in principle, there are all the facts that they do not follow the instructions, the order of the Minister of Justice of Konovalov about the examination ... But, you understand, from March 4, Mokhnatkin is actually not provided with medical care. From March 4! Today is the end of June. Disaster in the country! Nobody works and works! The real lawlessness!

When the first time I saw him, he was all beaten! He had damaged not only the spine, but also two ribs and his face swollen. He could not even sit at the hearing! Understand what pain is there

- What is the hunger strike of Sergey?

- He requires the provision of medical care to him. He has two destroyed vertebrae, completely destroyed! In any case, they must put him in a medical hospital. And at the same time, the medical hospital, which is engaged in the spine, is one with us, it is under Peter. The situation is catastrophic! But he is absolutely right. Under the 41st article of the Constitution, we have the right to protect health and medical care. None of this is fulfilled! After the vertebrae were destroyed, only painkillers were pricked to him, and it is not known there what happened to the spine. He has the vertebrae, the first and fifth, destroyed on the cross. In a sick state, they forcibly, under torture held a hearing. You understand what is happening here! When the first time I saw him, he was all beaten! He had damaged not only the spine, but also two ribs and his face swollen. I say: "What are you? What is the matter with you?" And he could not even sit at the hearing! You see what pain is there.

Sergey Mokhnatkin (in the center) during the "Walking of Writers" in Moscow, May 2012

Of course, he is experienced, he is smart, he is not just a human rights activist, but he is a political market in fact. He understands the right criminal law, once taught. It is actually simply tortured, using all kinds of psychological and physical impact on it, which is unacceptable either under the Constitution of the Russian Federation or according to international law. Court meetings are held, when he is in this state, they do not provide medical assistance, which is confirmed by all medical documents. I made them ensure that they control the situation on his hunger strike, document and follow every time. He is on a dry hunger strike! A sick spine, a disabled person, in fact, they made it cripple!

Of course, everything here happens illegally. It is necessary to do the outputs according to the Kotlas prosecutor, and according to the Investigative Committee, and, undoubtedly, in courts. The courts are generally complete lawlessness! How much I participated in the courts, I have not seen this anywhere! Mokhnatkin stated the allotment to the appointed lawyers, because one of them fabricated the criminal case against him under Art. 319. Now a criminal case has been fabricated against him - Art. 321 - "disorganization of the activities of a correctional institution." And he just then defended himself from 5-6 people who beat him with his feet. He just tried to protect himself! - summarizes the defender Sergei Mokhnatkina Vladimir Stepanov.

In 2010, Sergei Mokhnatkin was already sentenced to 2.5 years in colony for the use of force in relation to the police officer. In April 2012, he was pardoned by presidential decree Dmitry Medvedev. Having been released, Mokhnatkin took up social and civil activity, participated as a public defender in the "Swamp business".