The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) and the Office of the General Prosecutor (OGP) report the discovery of numerous facts of torture of prisoners in several regions of Ukraine.
According to the investigation data, almost all the prisoners who entered the colonies became victims of these crimes. The process of identifying victims of the actions of officials of the colonies continues.
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 convict was beaten for almost an hour, accompanied by constant psychological pressure.
An investigation into this fact was launched in January 2023. In order to identify the persons involved, a number of procedural actions were carried out and 10 examinations were ordered, the OGP notes.
Evidence is also being collected on other cases of torture, including those that resulted in the death of the victims.
The investigation established that each newly arrived convict underwent a strict reception procedure. They were forced to clean the floor for video camera filming. In case of refusal, torture was used: beating with hands, feet, rubber batons, sticks, twisting of hands, etc. For example, a case was documented when one of the convicts was given more than 200 blows.
The investigation also has video files, which record the moment of inflicting serious bodily injuries on one of the newly arrived prisoners in the Bozhkov correctional colony. The examination confirmed the authenticity of the video, and it was included in the case file as evidence of illegal actions by the colony's employees.
The SBI notes that the investigation materials contain other facts of torture in this and other correctional institutions that are currently being investigated.
Four officials of Bozhkov correctional colony No. 16 were notified of suspicion under the second part of Article 127 (torture) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The sanction of the article provides for punishment in the form of deprivation of liberty for a term of up to 10 years. Currently, the issue of choosing a preventive measure in the form of detention for the suspects is 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 management. Investigative activities are also carried out in the office of the North-Eastern interregional administration for the execution of punishments of the DKVS and its head. Information about the possible organization of a system of extortion and abuse in subordinate institutions, as well as the grounds for the manager's private ownership of property that significantly exceeds his official income, including apartments, office space and luxury cars, is being checked.
