Appeal to Federal Service for Execution of punishment of Sverdlovsk region

Non profit partnership «Assistance in legal help «Legal Basis» represented by director Aleksey Sokolov and Trans regional public organization «Trans regional center of human rights » represented by organization chairman Roman Kachanov have sent an appeal addressed to Justice Minister, Federal Service for Execution of punishment and Public Chamber of the Russian Federation.

There Aleksey Sokolov and Roman Kachanov points out main elements of human rights’ violations in correctional facilities in Sverdlovsk region in 2013. We take as a basis analytical report on convicts’ rights and law violations in correctional facilities in 2013 posted on «Human rights defenders.»

According to them source for existing problems in penitentiary system of Sverdlovsk region are:

1. «convicts-activists» appeared due to:

-reduction of number of officers in penitentiary system;

-unwillingness of officers to carry out duties (low discipline and responsibility);

-willingness to «bring everything in order» by old means which are as unlawful and criminal as a rule and with help of «recruited» convicts (fear to take criminal responsibility for their actions).

2. Constant and unpunished violation facts on brute force and humiliation towards inmates appeared due to:

-absence of video recorder in many colonies of Sverdlovsk region and premises;

-short time of video tapes keeping what reduces practical use;

-Submission on control of video recording  of administration which means possibility to do whatever administration wants with them including destruction on the ground of operating bugs;

-low quality of prosecutor’s work and investigation; cooperation with administrations of colonies;

-absence of National preventive mechanism for tortures.

3. Facts of untimely sending out and no sending of mails from convicts appear due to:

-failure to control registration and sending out mails, especially complaints and claims about administration of correctional facility;

-absence of open procedure of sending out from colony.

4. Facts of disciplinary penalty fabrication appear due to:

— low regulation on legislative level for disciplinary punishment including disciplinary committees (these committees are absent in Penal Execution Code);

-absence of norms video recording obligation when inmates get disciplinary punishment.

Thus human rights defenders suppose it’s necessary to regulate procedure of bringing to disciplinary responsibilities among them to establish rights guarantee by European penitentiary rules and international documents and make this process open for video recording, disciplinary committee presiding and rendering of decision.

Representatives of human rights organizations and members of Public Monitoring Committee place of lot of efforts to get rid of those problems which exist in Penal Execution system of Sverdlovsk region.

Human rights defenders of the Urals.