Report on human rights trip in the Lipetsk and the Belgorod regions.
On 6 May as a lawyer of Association «Legal Basis» I participated in court hearing in the Lipetsk regional court in order to challenge a decision of Yeletsk court (to set administrative supervision over convict N. who used to serve sentence in penitentiary in Yelets.
II type disabled having problems with supporting-motor apparatus and neurology, he was kept from world for 700 days, after his release he serves additional punishment in the form of custodial restraint. He is forced to be at hospital due to health impairment.
Besides they applied administrative supervision on him which will begin after release. Decision was changed in this part. That day I visited the penal colony-6. Warden of this facility Yuri Suvorov was there, he heard me out, checked my papers and signed me a pass. I met with the convicts, including Vitaly Knyazev transferred from prison into penitentiary hospital.
We discussed position in defence in the case on challenge of refusal to initiate criminal proceedings (incident with burns at the penal colony-2).
I signed with convict T. power of attorney in order to consider decisions about disciplinary punishment and further challenge.
In the evening I headed to Belgorod where on 7 May 2015 I took part in court hearing about extension of term of appeal (denial of access in the penal colony-5 to provide convicts with legal help).
I came back in the Lipetsk region where I visited inmates as an expert of Fund. I got admission easily.
Warden met me personally, asked if I had any questions because he was in a hurry to congratulate veterans with Victory’s Day and he didn’t want to leave these questions unsolved.
That day I conducted a meeting with two convicts whom I provided with legal help; we discussed living conditions including solitary detainment of convict F. for three years and right to complain to European Court of Human Rights, medical treatment.
Besides, convict F. is in unknown procedural status due to initiation of criminal proceedings. In March I made requests but on some of them I did not get response .
I drew reports after these trips, appeals into courts and the Federal Service for Execution of punishment.
Larisa Zakharova, lawyer of Association «Legal Basis», expert of Fund «For convicts’ rights protection».
