Shocking video contradicts no torture report of Saratov prison hospital

According to a video received by human rights defenders, a native of Azerbaijan was sexually assaulted in a prison hospital in the Saratov Region. A deputy chief of the prison hospital claims no violence was used against the prisoner.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that in April, convict Erik Arzoev*, a native of Azerbaijan, was tortured for several days in a prison hospital in the Saratov Region. “They were beating him in a group. They were throwing him under a cold shower, wringing his arms and legs, and were doing terrible things to deprive him of his dignity. They tortured him until he opened his stomach,” said the prisoner’s brother.

In the video, which was provided to the “Caucasian Knot” by Vladimir Osechkin, an initiator of the “Gulagu.net” project, Erik Arzoev* with his hands tied behind his back was sitting on a bench in the middle of the shower room. He is wearing a T-shirt and a jacket, but no pants or underwear. Two men come up to him and turn him over on his stomach. The convict tries to resist, but they hold him tightly. The third man comes up and lubricates the convict’s anus from a tube, and then prepares to rape the convict. The video is dated July 1, 2015.

A document reporting the results of the verification of the Erik Arzoev’s* complaint about torture claims “no physical force or special means were used.” The document, a copy of which was received by the “Caucasian Knot”, contains a link to a special magazine, which registers the use of force and special means against prisoners. The document is issued by the deputy chief of the prison hospital.

* The convict’s name has been changed for ethical reasons.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on November 12, 2021 at 01:56 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.