Russia: wave of dismissals after torture and rape scandal in prison

The entrance to a Russian prison.

(Drawing).

KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP

Text by: RFI Follow

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Russian prison services have announced the dismissal of 18 of their employees.

A response to the scandal caused by the dissemination of videos showing systematic torture in a prison in the country.

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A month ago Gulagu.net published these

, images of rape and torture, shot at the request of the authorities according to the NGO. Soon after the head of the local prison services resigned, executives were dismissed and five investigations opened. In total there were therefore 18 layoffs. Eleven other employees are being prosecuted for the "most serious" disciplinary breaches according to the acting director of the prison administration in the region. His statement comes a day after the release of new videos by the Gulagu.net project. Videos of rape committed in the same prison.

This Wednesday, November 10, Russian prosecutors also decided to discontinue the proceedings against the whistleblower who had revealed these videos.

Following these revelations Sergei Savelev had to take refuge in France.

The Belarusian national obtained the videos from the prison system when he was detained there himself.

The Russian prison system is very regularly marred by torture scandals committed in a quasi-institutionalized manner by guards or other detainees with the aim in particular of obtaining confessions under duress.

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