In October 2014 I was visiting correctional facilities and pretrial detention center of Yekaterinbug with intent to give legal assistance to convicts as a part of the project «Public service for penitentiary control».
On 1 October 2014. I visited the pretrial detention center-1 where is convict B. who had been prosecuted in the penal colony № 63 for disagreement with that «power structure» when other inmates control the facility.
On 2 October 2014. I visited the penal colony № 10 with a purpose to provide a convict T. with a legal help; I did it and consulted him over many different issues; we drew up an appeal about court decision on administrative oversight; conducted a conversation upon re-socialization after release.
On 6 October 2014. I visited the pretrial detention center-1 in order to give consultations to a convict about preparation for court hearings upon a fact that his sentences should be aligned with new criminal law. Since 2003 this convict couldn’t file relevant petitions, because he didn’t have such opportunity in the penal colony № 63 where any kind of attempts to do it was banned by «convicts-activists».
On 7 October 2014. I visited the penal colony № 2 where at prison hospital there is a convict from Ivdel colony № 63. He has applied to members of Sverdlovsk Public Monitoring Committee about his medical treatment of severe disease. There was a conversation with a convict; decision about legal help and detainment conditions was made.
On 13 October 2014. I visited convicts in the pretrial detention center-1 again upon issues of taking an appeal from court decisions and resolutions over refusal to initiate criminal proceedings towards prison staff and «convicts-activists» of the penal colony № 63.
On 14 October 2014. I visited the penal colony № 10 to help two convicts. I met with them and consulted upon various problems which are legally important; discussed additions to appeal about administrative oversight. (convict T.)
With convict M. who was transferred from ward-type rooms of the penal colony № 63, we drew up a petition to Verkh-Isetsky regional court upon challenge actions of prison staff and I gave also recommendations about abidance by rules of internal order.
On 16 October 2014. I visited again the penal colony№ 2 due to petitions from relatives who are concerned about health condition of close person. Convict P. has been detained into premises operating as pretrial detention center. He doesn’t know why he is at colony, it seems like he is moving from one facility to others. He spends his sentences «on the road».
Also as convict P. said he is disabled person of group I, he has a range of diseases, in 2010 he suffered a stroke, heart disease of the first degree, before that he had break-down of lungs. While you are talking to him, you can hear apnoea. This person didn’t know what date it was. Constant loneliness affected him.
At prison hospital I visited convict Z. transferred from the penal colony № 63 for medical checkup and treatment. He is kept into one-man ward which looks like a cell. After being at colonies under high security for a long time, he was surprised to have examined according to law.
During meetings with convicts I gave legal advice upon many questions including detainment conditions and medical service.
My legal week ended up on 17 October 2014 with one more inspection of the pretrial detention -1 where I needed to consult one convict coming from the penal colony № 63 for court hearings over appeal. Convict M. could managed to file an appeal with help of human rights defenders about participation in court session in order to share his opinion.
I’d like to point out that at all mentioned facilities there was no problem with access. Administration was polite and tactful, acted according to law.
After leaving the pretrial detention center-1 I found a machine with help of which relatives may put money on account of convicts.
This way I finished my week of legal help to convicts of Yekaterinburg.
Larisa Zakharova, lawyer of NGO «LEGAL BASIS», expert of Fund «For convicts’ rights protection».
