Hunger strike of SIZO-1 inmates lasted for a week in Kalmykia

For more than a week, inmates kept in SIZO-1 (pre-trial detention facility) of the city of Elista, the capital of Kalmykia, were on a hunger strike in protest against the actions of the facility's administration. Vladimir Galitrov, a relative of one of the detainees, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent about it.

The fact of the hunger strike was also confirmed to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by the commanders of SIZO-1 of the Department of the Federal Correctional Service (UFSIN) for the Republic of Kalmykia (RK). According to Alexander Tarasov, the prison head, the protest action was started by eleven detainees on January 23 and stopped on the day before yesterday, on January 30, after the conducted inspections revealed no violations of the rights of the persons on remand and inmates.

"On January 22, a special operations detachment of the RF's UFSIN for the RK was brought into SIZO-1. The fighters in masks started beating almost everybody who was kept in the facility. The beat them with fists, boots and truncheons, and shouted: "It's a greeting to you from the new head of the SIZO that you know who the housemaster is!" They deliberately destroyed toilet accessories, personal belongings and even criminal case materials. Under the pretext of making a search, the special agents also goofed on women - their cries were heard all over SIZO premises," resident of Elista Vladimir Galitrov retells the story of N. Sumyan who got freed from the SIZO on January 29.

Alexander Tarasov, who was indeed appointed to the position of the head of SIZO-1 of Kalmykia right on the eve of the above events, has confirmed that on January 22 the cells of his facility were searched by special fighters with the aim to confiscate the things forbidden for keeping at the facility. Such measures, as he said, are regularly held in all Russian SIZOs, they are standard.

At the same time, Mr Tarasov denied any charges against OMON fighters of applying violence and destruction of SIZO inmates' property. He says that the UFSIN employees had acted within the bounds of the law, and two subsequent inspections confirmed it. The first one was held with participation of the Ombudsman for Kalmykia, the second one - by employees of the prosecutor's office, where inmates' complaints were sent. Medical examinations of the detainees held during the inspections revealed no traces of violence, as Alexander Tarasov asserts.