«Convicts-activists» extort estate from inmates in the penal colony № 47

On August 2^d 2014 as a part of the project «Public service of penitentiary control in the Ural Federal District» members of Sverdlovsk Public Monitoring Control — Sergey Kirillov and Dmitry Kalinin visited the penal colony № 47 which is located in Kamensk-Uralsky.

The reason of trip is as old as time — to check convicts who earlier had told about tortures and extortion by «convicts’ — activists».

Colony administration didn’t make problems to inspectors and was very polite with them. Having met with convicts, members of Public Monitoring Committee were surprised that some prisoners changed their testimony from beatings to self-harm, all the rest insist on previous statements. We explained them that convicts have to protect their rights by all legal means, also with help of members of Committee. We’ve filed complaints, waiting for results. Upon this fact Human rights defenders of the Urals are preparing a lot of information where they will tell how «convicts-activists» are extorting real estate from other prisoners. Then members walked across the territory where sport events were happening. Administration promised to send pictures of event. We’ve checked catering facilities, in the dining room not bad food. At prison hospital everything is nice, everybody is satisfied, no complaints found.

Human rights defenders of the Urals.