ECtHR asks Russia to clarify the case of inmate of Stavropol penal colony

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has communicated the complaint filed by Sergey Butrin, an inmate of the Stavropol penal colony, who went blind and got several serious chronic diseases at penitentiary institutions. In his complaint to the ECtHR, Sergey Butrin indicates intolerable detention conditions during serving his sentence and complains about the courts' dismissal of his request for release because of his health state.

While being kept in prison, the complainant has completely lost sight: the man was diagnosed with "complicated cataract in both eyes." In addition to blindness, while in prison, Sergey Butrin got such diseases as coronary heart disease, stenocardia, hypertonia, encephalopathy, urolithiasis, chronic pancreatitis, chronic pyelonephritis, and a number of other deceases. Sergey Butrin was recognized Category I invalid, the website of the ECtHR reports.

In his complaint, the complainant claims that he is not able to move around the prison alone and that he spends most of the day lying down. When he tries to go somewhere, then he "stumbles upon objects", falls down and "gets injuries." Sergey Butrin writes that he cannot eat because of his "constantly trembling hands" and that he has to eat by putting his face on a plate "like an animal."

Advocates of Sergey Butrin prepared a complaint to the ECtHR. On September 2, it was communicated by the ECtHR. And on September 22, the appropriate information was published on its website.

The ECtHR has set a number of questions in front of the parties to the proceedings, including questions about the compliance of the detention conditions under that the complainant is serving his sentence with the requirements of Article 3 of the European Convention for Human Rights and Freedoms (prohibition of torture), the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent has been told by Oleg Anischik, an advocate representing the interest of Sergey Butrin.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.