Angela Elkhanova: inmates of penal colony in Stavropol Territory go on hunger strike

For the fifth day, starting from October 20, at the penal colony of the Stavropol Territory, Musa Vatsuev, a native of Chechnya, is on a dry hunger strike to express his protest against beatings. This was reported by his wife Angela Elkhanova. According to her, the protest action also involves other inmates of the penal colony. The press service of the Department of the Federal Penitentiary Service (known as FSIN) in the Stavropol Territory did not confirm the information.

On October 5, at the penal colony FKU IK-11, in the Shpakovsky District in the Stavropol Territory, during conducting of mass search events, special forces of the FSIN Department in the Stavropol Territory severely beat the prisoners in a penal isolation facility of the cell-type room. This was reported by Mikhail Chernov, a former prisoner, who was released from prison several days ago.

"Torture and abuse were continued for more than two hours. At that time, I was also in the cell-type room, so I could clearly hear conversations, screams and groans guards beat prisoners, demanding that the prisoners should strip naked and introduce themselves. Despite the fact that the prisoners fulfilled their demands, guards continued to abuse them, demanding to introduce themselves, and when a prisoner began to pronounce his name, the beating was continued," Mikhail Chernov told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to him, on the same day, the prisoners were also brought to the exercise yard, stripped naked and beaten.

"When I was brought to the exercise yard for a walk, I saw how they beat Musa Vatsuev with their feet. He was lying on the concrete floor, and his head and face were covered with blood. I heard them shouting such phrases as: 'Well, Chechen, do you like being in prison in Russia?' In the neighbouring exercise yard, another prisoner was being beaten for the fact that he said he would complain. They brought me to the third exercise yard; however, a staff member of the local administration ran in and told the OMON (riot police) fighters not to touch me, since I would be released in several days," the former prisoners described the events of October 5.

Starting from October 20, inmates of the detention facility went on a hunger strike. "I do not know how many people participate in it. I just know exactly that my husband is on a dry hunger strike for the fifth day," Angela Elkhanova says.

Her husband Musa Magamed-Khadjievich Vatsuev was sentenced under Article 317 (attempt on life of a law enforcement officer) and Article 222 (illegal possession of weapon) for 18 years of imprisonment, and he began to serve his sentence in February 2003.

Officials from the press service of the FSIN Department in the Stavropol Territory stated that they had no information about the hunger strike at the penal colony.