Federal Penitentiary Service officers sentenced to five years in prison for torturing a prisoner

9 February 2023

Eva Merkacheva, member of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights, reported the verdict.

“Three employees of the Irkutsk colony were sentenced for torture… They were sentenced to five years of imprisonment each. Is this a lot or not? In either case, this is a victory… They will be tried, and will never be hired by the Federal Penitentiary Service — and many others,” emphasised Eva Merkacheva.

In July 2022, officials in Nizhny Novgorod were prosecuted seven times in two months for sabotaging torture investigations. Investigators and the director of the investigative department were punished.

Russia increased prison terms for torture in 2022, allowing for up to 15 years of imprisonment. Under the law, investigators, officials involved in the investigation, and even employees of the Federal Penitentiary Service will be liable for incidents of torture.

Source: https://www.asi.org.ru/news/2023/02/09/sotrudnikov-fsin-osudili-za-pytki-zaklyuchennogo/

Translated by Spencer Michaels