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Russia fires 5 prison officials amid sexual abuse claims

October 6, 2021

Prison officials in the southern Russian province of Saratov have been fired following the release of videos seeming to show torture and sexual abuse. Russian authorities have opened an investigation into the claims.

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A view of the Regional Tuberculosis Hospital No 1 under the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service.
Footage from the prisoner rights group Gulagu.net revealed widespread torture and sexual abuse in the Saratov prison systemImage: Filipp Kochetkov/dpa/TASS/picture alliance

Russia's prison authorities said on Wednesday that they had fired five senior prison officers after purported documentation of widespread torture and sexual abuse across the Saratov region came to light.

The move came after the prisoner rights group Gulagu.net published documents, photos and videos showing the reported rape and torture of inmates at an infirmary for treating tuberculosis. 

The Federal Prison Service (FSIN) announced an investigation and the removal of the head of the infirmary, Pavel Gatsenko, as well as three other regional prison officials. FSIN said that the head of its Saratov branch, Alexei Fedotov, was also being removed from his position over "serious mistakes."

"A system of torture has been and is still operational," Gulagu.net's founder, Vladimir Osechkin, told Reuters. The authorities "are afraid to admit the truth in public, and the truth is awful because the truth is that their special services have been torturing people en masse."

Authorities open criminal inquiries

The Kremlin also responded, saying on Tuesday that there were grounds for an in-depth investigation if it turned out that the footage was real.

A view of the Regional Tuberculosis Hospital No 1 under the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service
Gulagu.net said that the abuse and torture of inmates had been going on for yearsImage: Filipp Kochetkov/dpa/TASS/picture alliance

The results of FSIN's probe will be handed over to the Investigative Committee — which examines major crimes in Russia. The Committee said it had already opened seven criminal inquiries over sexual assault and abuse of power among prison officials.

"The investigation will give a legal assessment of the actions (or inaction) of the employees of the correctional facility," it said.

Osechkin told AFP that the abuse had been going on for years and that authorities had previously ignored the reports.

He added that prisoners usually suffer abuse as a means of extorting money or forcing them to cooperate.

Navalny shines light on prison system

Russia's penitentiary system has been under the spotlight in recent months after the jailed anti-Kremlin activist Alexei Navalny drew attention to the dire conditions.

He began a hunger strike in March to pressure the authorities to grant him access to doctors of his own choosing.

Russian law forbids the treatment of prisoners that could be considered "harsh" or that "abases human dignity." Violations by prison officials can result in up to 10 years in jail.

ab/msh (Reuters, AFP)