The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) and the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) report the discovery of numerous cases of torture of prisoners in several regions of Ukraine.
According to the investigation, almost all prisoners who were sent to the colonies became victims of these crimes. The process of identifying victims of the actions of colony officials is ongoing.
Newly arrived prisoners were subjected to physical violence and threats, forcing them to obey any orders. A case of torture was recorded in February 2022, when one prisoner was beaten for almost an hour, accompanied by constant psychological pressure.
The investigation into this fact was initiated in January 2023. To identify the persons involved, a number of procedural actions were carried out and 10 examinations were ordered, the UCP noted.
Evidence is also being collected regarding other cases of torture, including those that resulted in the deaths of the victims.
The investigation established that each newly arrived convict underwent a strict admission procedure. They were forced to clean the floor for filming on a video camera. In case of refusal, torture was applied: beatings with hands, feet, rubber batons, sticks, twisting of arms, etc. For example, a case was documented when one of the convicts was inflicted with more than 200 blows.
The investigation also has video files that record the moment of inflicting serious bodily harm on one of the newly arrived prisoners at the Bozhkovskaya correctional colony. An examination confirmed the authenticity of the video, and it was included in the case materials as evidence of illegal actions by the colony employees.
The State Bureau of Investigation notes that the investigation materials contain other facts of torture in this and other correctional institutions, which are currently being investigated.
Four officers of Bozhkovska Correctional Colony No. 16 were notified of suspicion under Part Two of Article 127 (torture) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The sanction of the article provides for a penalty of imprisonment for a term of up to 10 years. The issue of choosing a preventive measure in the form of detention for the suspects is currently being resolved.
Work is also underway to establish other facts of torture and collect evidence of the involvement of other officials of the colony, including the leadership. Investigative actions are also being carried out at the office of the North-Eastern Interregional Department for the Execution of Sentences of the State Committee for the Correction of Prisoners of Ukraine and at its head. Information is being checked on the possible organization of a system of extortion and bullying in subordinate institutions, as well as the grounds for the head's acquisition of property in private ownership that significantly exceeds his official income, including apartments, office premises and luxury cars.
