Prosecutors will fight against tortures in Kazakhstan
After a scandal with torture in the colony ЛA-155/8, located in Almaty region, the General Prosecutor’s Office of Kazakhstan decided to create two specialized prosecutors in Almaty and East Kazakhstan regions, where about 30% of all convicted prisoners are kept in the prisons.
According to the Prosecutor general Gizat Nurdauletov at the Coordination council, despite the measures taken, violations of the rights of convicts are still committed in the institutions of the penal system.
He also recalled that the President of Kazakhstan, Kasym-Zhomart Tokayev, after the scandal with torture in ЛA-155/8 colony, instructed the Prosecutor General to conduct a thorough investigation of torture, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs – to modernize correctional facilities and strengthen civilian control.
Recall, the scandal surrounding the colony in Zarechny flared up on July 26, when a video appeared on the Youtube portal, which recorded the mockery of the colony’s employees over prisoners. The video shows how two officers threw the convict to the floor and tied his wrists behind his back. The following shots show how three colony officers beat a prisoner hanging on wall bars in a gym.
A few days later, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Kazakhstan, Erlan Turgumbaev, confirmed the torture of prisoners in ЛA-155/8 colony. He also said that seven employees of this institution, including two deputy chiefs, were dismissed for negative reasons. The Head of the colony was also relieved of his post. At the same time, the Minister emphasized that this fact is “isolated”.
As was noted at the meeting of the Coordination Council, in order to correct the situation of torture and bullying of prisoners in Kazakhstan correctional institutions, it is necessary to take a set of measures, such as moving from barracks to wards, removing medical units from subordination of prison administrations, automating distribution and transfer of convicts, installation of video surveillance and registrars, terminals for filing complaints, etc.
“Along with this, the Attorney General ordered to take austerity measures on all the facts of violence against convicts, to achieve the inevitability of punishment for the guilty, including all those involved in torture in the colony of Almaty region,” ACCA was told from the press service of the General Prosecutor’s Office of Kazakhstan according to the results of the Coordination Council’s meeting.
The department also noted that prosecutors had already sent 23 criminal cases to the courts on similar facts.
Meanwhile, as Kazakh human rights activist Elena Semenova posted on Facebook, on August 19, one of the prisoners died in ЖД-158/7 colony located in Zhambyl region.
“They say he hanged himself, but the convicts don’t believe in this version. Something else is happening in the institution, they don’t let the convicts call. After the incident, all the convicts were driven to “places” and they didn’t let anyone out anymore. I suppose, in order to hide all the facts and traces,” Semenova wrote.
The Committee of the Criminal Executive System responded to the post of the human rights activist. In the message, the fact of the prisoner’s death is confirmed. However, it is emphasized that “there were no signs of violent actions”.
“The Department of the penal system in Zhambyl region has launched an official investigation into this fact,” the Committee of the Criminal Executive System also said.
