Natives of Caucasus take part in protest hunger strike in colony

In one of the colonies, located in the Smolensk Region, three prisoners from Dagestan, a native of Azerbaijan and six other convicts have gone on a hunger strike. Their relatives have filed complaints about systematic bullying of inmates in the colony.

Ten colony inmates, including the natives of Dagestan, Akim Esretaliev, Gadjimurad Rasulov, Shamil Nurmagomedov, as well as a native of Azerbaijan, Karam Alakberov, have stitched up their mouths and went on a dry hunger strike, their relatives told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. According to their story, the colony staff is systematically and without due reason placing the same inmates into strict custody cells and dungeons (punishment cells).

"They threaten to beat inmates; use foul language, and deliberately spoil the food. Thus, on April 9, a colony warden plunged a dirty stick into the pot with food, saying that 'you pigs will eat this all the same.' They took away the prayer rugs from Muslim inmates; there is no hot water in the colony," says the relatives' statement.

They also pointed to religion-based discrimination.

Inmates' relatives also note that they failed to achieve the transfer prisoners to jails located near their places of residence.

From the first day of convoying, Shamil Nurmagomedov's custody conditions were harsh; his rights are systematically violated, said the father of one of the prisoners.