Another unpleasant fact concerning the penitentiary system of Kazakhstan was declared by the well-known human rights activist Elena Semenova. A short video, which was sent to her from the colony, shows how the prison guards beat the prisoner with a baton.
According to Semenova, the incident was occurred in the institution ИЧ-167/2. This is the strict regime colony in Chimkent.
“Please, check this fact, and also find out whether a special message concerning this incident was sent,” Semenova wrote in her commentary on the video. “In this case, who has more opportunities, the rights and the baton in the hands is very brave and strong… but will the convict have to answer?”
The colony ИЧ-167/2 in Chimkent has repeatedly found itself at the center of such scandals. In May of this year, relatives of convicts, who are serving terms at this institution, have reported that prison staff beat prisoners. To avoid these bullying, convicts were even forced to hide on the roof of the building. However, the Committee on the Criminal Executive System denied this information.
“On May 6, in the institution ИЧ-167/2, a domestic incident took place between two convicts. One of them received slight bodily harm. On this fact, an emergency team and an investigative-operational group were called. The victim was hospitalized. A pre-trial investigation was launched against the second convict, who is currently placed in a disciplinary isolator. On May 7, 7 convicts, expressing concern over what had happened, demanded that they be kept safe. Representatives of the Department of the penal system, the Prosecutor’s office and the Public Monitoring Committee arrived at the scene. An explanatory conversation was held with the convicts. All of them were examined, no injuries were found. In addition, the convicts themselves explained that no illegal actions had been taken against them. Currently, the situation in the institution ИЧ-167/2 is regulated, it is operating normally. There is no cause for concern. Information on unlawful actions on the part of the staff of the institution in relation to the convicts doesn’t correspond to reality,” said the Committee on the Criminal Executive System.
A similar scandal was in August 2019. Then the relatives of a 24-year-old prisoner, who was serving his term at ИЧ-167/2 for committing a serious crime, received a message that he was being beaten by the colony’s officers. The mother of the prisoner immediately went the correctional institution and witnessed how her son was taken away to the hospital by ambulance. According to the doctors who examined the guy, the patient revealed internal bleeding and rupture of the right kidney, which it was decided to ablate. In addition, a rope mark was found on the guy’s neck. However, prison officials said the prisoner tried to commit suicide and hanged himself. However, the rope couldn’t carry the weight of his body and it tore. The guy fell unsuccessfully and received the injuries that the doctors revealed.
Five years ago (in August 2014), four prisoners from ИЧ-167/2 tried to commit suicide. They pierced their stomachs with electrodes. It was the reaction of prisoners to torture by the colony staff.
Meanwhile, Elena Semenova, describing the case of the prisoners’ beating in the colony of Chimkent, asks the question, “Will the reputation of the institution, the honor and dignity of employees be derogated after her post?” This question is not idle, because several legal claims have been brought against the human rights defender from Kazakh colonies to protect their business reputation, as previously was reported by ACCA.
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