Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service admits to ‘use of force and police instruments’ during prison riot in Siberia

Employees of Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) admitted to the “use of force and police instruments” during a riot at Penal Colony No.15 in the Siberian city of Angarsk on April 9. Information about the treatment of the prison’s 415 inmates was issued in response to a request from Vladimir Osechkin, the founder of the human rights project Gulagu.net.

The Federal Penitentiary Service emphasized that no firearms were used against the prisoners. Allegedly, medical personnel examined all of the inmates after the riot and found “satisfactory” levels of health.

However, Osechnkin referred to the confirmed number of injured prisoners as an “anti-record.” “They were simply beaten there, that’s why they are hiding large numbers, and lawyers are not allowed,” he said.

The Federal Penitentiary Service claimed that one of the prisoners started the April 9 riot, after refusing to undergo a personal search. According to human rights defenders, however, the riot began after the prison employees beat one of the inmates.

After the riot, several hundred prisoners were transferred to Pre-Trial Detention Center No.1 in Irkutsk. Human rights defenders and lawyers said that the detention center’s staff beat them, with the consent of the Russian Investigative Committee and the Prosecutor’s Office.