Human rights activists accused of protecting criminal structure's interests

A week ago, when representatives of the Krasnodar regional NGO Mothers in Defense of Rights of Arrested Persons, Persons Under Investigation, and Convicts picketed the high security penal institution in the village of Tlyustenkhabl in the Republic of Adygeya, they came to the agreement with the prison warden that they would make an initial medical examination of convicts who had complained about cruel treatment. However, when a group of activists of Mothers in Defense of Rights of Arrested Persons, Persons Under Investigation, and Convicts, headed by chairwoman of the organization Tatyana Rudakova, came to the location in the morning of May 12, it turned out that those convicts were being conveyed to other institutions. The prison was cordoned off. Relatives were not allowed to meet convicts and no parcels were admitted under the pretext of conducting the "Vikhr-Antiterror" operation in the prison, which would last until May 18. Besides, it was announced that a mine and hidden arms had allegedly been found in the zone. In Tatyana Rudakova's opinion, this was a direct provocation arranged by the head of the republican department of penal execution in order to justify their own illegal actions towards the convicts.

As for Ms Rudakova and her organization, republican journalists have been given recommendations not to communicate with her as she allegedly protects interests of criminal structures and gets funds from the so called "obshchak" [funds of the criminal community]. Tatyana Rudakova flatly denies such accusations.

Editors note: See also the article "NGOs accuse prison administration of cruel treatment of convicts".