Deputies decided to soften the law allowing beating of prisoners

The State Duma Committee on Security and Anti-Corruption recommended amending the bill regulating the use of force and special means (batons and stun guns) against prisoners. The main change is that the clause that allows beating prisoners for violating the regime will be excluded from the document.

Ernest Valeev, Deputy Chairman of the Security Committee, spoke about the amendments. The Committee recommended that the State Duma adopt the bill in the second reading, taking into account the proposed changes.

The deputies, taking into account the comments of human rights activists, introduced "restrictions on the use of special means, especially stun guns," and also established uniform rules for the use of rubber sticks, similar to those adopted in other law enforcement agencies.

TASS

• The bill regulating the use of force against prisoners was adopted by the State Duma in the first reading in October 2015. This document states that it is allowed to beat prisoners “to suppress crimes or violations of the detention regime”, “to suppress unlawful resistance or disobedience of the convict”, as well as to suppress “other illegal actions that disrupt the activities of the institution that executes punishment”.
• Human rights activists said that the bill actually allows the employees of the Federal Penitentiary Service to use force against prisoners in any situation.
• In November 2016, a letter from prisoner Ildar Dadin, who spoke about systematic torture and beatings in Karelian colony No. 7, received a great public outcry. The Federal Penitentiary Service and the Investigative Committee did not find confirmation of Dadin's words, despite the fact that other prisoners also reported torture and abuse.