Penal Head apparently dismissed over events at Colony No. 89

According to a local journalist, D. Reznichenko, the Head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Division of the Department for the Execution of Sentences, Anatoly Babets has been dismissed. The journalist states that Babets initially denied that prisoners had been beaten at Penal Colony No. 89 by a Special Forces unit, then said that it was normal training exercises.  Learning of the imminent press conference he first invited human rights workers to visit and supposedly convince themselves that all was well, then failed to get in contact, and access was denied.

The report states that the Deputy Head of the State Penitentiary Service for Kyiv and the Kyiv Region confirmed the dismissal and linked it directly with the events at Colony No. 89.  Ihor Andrushko said that the Prosecutor would be investigating these events, as well as a whole range of other criticisms regarding the rising death rate and incidences of tuberculosis in the colonies, poor cooperation with civic organizations and the press, etc.

One of those present at the press conference on 12 July, Ihor Harkavenko has also confirmed that Babets has been dismissed.