MENU
Documenting
war crimes in Ukraine
The Tribunal for Putin (T4P) global initiative was set up in response to the all-out war launched by Russia against Ukraine in February 2022.

Similar articles

Human rights activists demand investigation of beatings at Simferopol SIZOArmed men in masks in Simferopol SIZOPrisoners on hunger strike at Colony No. 89 in DnipropetrovskPrisoners beaten for complaining about lack of fresh air?KHPG representative not allowed into Penal Colony No. 89Penal Head apparently dismissed over events at Colony No. 89New hunger strike at Colony No. 89 in Dnipropetrovsk“Ukrainian Guantanamo” that doesn’t exist. De jureAndriy Didenko: Reform of Ukraine’s Penal Institutions hasn’t yet begunNew brutal sentence in Russia’s 'liquidation of dissenters' in occupied Crimea Prayers for Peace are Forbidden: a Digest of Russian ProtestsBelarusian 'railway partisans' receive 22-year sentences for obstructing Russia’s full-scale invasion of UkraineWhat did the media team of the Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group deal with in 2022?Abducted and tortured Ukrainian political prisoner faces additional prosecution for calling Russia's invasion of Ukraine a war Ukrainian political prisoner dies in Russian captivity 21-23-year sentences for three Belarusian heroes who helped Ukraine stop Russia from taking Kyiv Two Ukrainian believers sentenced to six years in Russian-occupied Crimea for a Zoom conversation about the BibleRussia sentences Crimean Solidarity activist to 17 years for defending political prisoners No end to Russia’s brutal reprisals against imprisoned 66-year-old historian of the Soviet Terror Ukraine’s penitentiary institutions and the war
• Topics / Penal institutions

Special Force Penal Service officers again deployed against prisoners?

07.07.2011   

 

According to Andriy Didenko, Programme Coordinator for the Kharkiv Human Rights Group, there are reports, unconfirmed but from various sources, that on 5 July Special Force Officers from the State Penitentiary Service beat a large number of prisoners at Colony No. 89 in Dnipropetrovsk.

Only two months ago similar reports were received about the Simferopol SIZO [remand unit] (http://khpg.org/en/1305153739.

Much has been said over recent years regarding the unlawful use of such a special unit supposedly used as an anti-terrorism unit, but deployed against prisoners.

As far back as 28 December 2007 the Ministry of Justice informed the State Department for the Execution of Sentences that it had cancelled the registration of Order No. 167 from 10 October 2005 allowing for a special anti-terrorist unit within the Department used for carrying out searches of prisoners and penal institutions and pre-trial detention centres, and effectively for intimidating those deprived of their liberty

The cancellation of its registration meant that Order No. 167 had ceased to be in force and needed to be revoked by the Department..

Unfortunately it does not seem to have meant abandonment of unlawful methods.  This is despite the European Court of Human Rights Judgement in the Case if Davydov and others v. Ukraine which found that Ukraine violated Article 3 (prohibition of torture) with the mass-scale beating of prisoners at the Izyaslav Penal Colony No. 58 in 2001-2002.

The reports concerning the alleged new deployment of the special unit on 5 July lists the prisoners who may have been beaten, as well as four members of the Penitentiary Service or Colony Administration bearing responsibility.

At present all attempts to get through to the Penitentiary Service and Prosecutor’s Office and receive information have been unsuccessful.

Andriy Didenko states that he would be willing to go himself to check the veracity of the reports received

 Share this