Two citizens of Moldova beaten in SIZO, members of Krasnodar regional POC report

Two citizens of Moldova, accused of drug trafficking, were subjected to violence in the SIZO (pre-trial prison) No. 23/1 of Krasnodar. This was reported by a person representing their defence and members of the Public Oversight Commission (POC) of the KrasnodarTerritory. The lawyer has filed an appeal on the matter to the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF).

During the visit on February 8, members of the POC revealed the circumstances of the incident.

According to Anna Mitrenko, a member of the regional POC, 19-year-old Victor Melnik, one of the defendants, "informed the POC members that at night, he was transferred to another cell for two hours, where three persons unknown to him threatened him with all kinds of violence and reprisal in case if he did not copy (since he was not able to write and read in Russian) a letter renouncing services of an interpreter during the investigation." "He has copied the letter and signed it," said the member of the regional POC.

According to Anna Mitrenko, Vitaly Danu, another defendant, "also informed them with the help of an interpreter that he was severely and accurately beaten on his kidneys and the area of his genital organs and that he was not able to completely pass urine during several days, that he did not know the persons who beat him, that he signed some papers, that he was not able to walk, and that he was in terror of life."

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent has been informed by Anna Mitrenko that the POC members have sent an act of inspection to the Department of the Federal Penitentiary Service (known as FSIN) "with the demand to the administration of the penitentiary system of the Krasnodar Territory to conduct inspection and draw serious attention to the situation."

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.