Prisoners complain on Internet about custody conditions in Volgograd colony

The convicts serving their terms in Colony No. 9 in Volgograd have posted video clips on the Internet showing the poor custody conditions in their colony. The colony bosses have launched a check; but already before its end, they have partially refuted the convicts' information.

Three video clips, in which prisoners of the above colony described their poor custody conditions were posted on the YouTube on June 20-22, 2015.

One of the clips shows a cell with its dirty walls and ceiling. The author says that the cell is damp; the walls are covered with fungi, which adversely affect the health of inmates.

The video appeal dated June 22 says that because of the previous clip "inmates received threats from the Russia's UFSIN (the Department of the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service) for the Volgograd Region." The author of the appeal also claims that prisoners had sent their written complaint to human rights organizations, but to no avail.

After the appearance of the video on the Internet, the UFSIN appointed an official check, Tatiana Podskrebalina, the head of the press service of the UFSIN for the Volgograd Region, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

On July 2, the colony was visited the Public Oversight Commission (POC) of the Volgograd Region, said Stanislav Erokhin, the POC's deputy chairman.

Inna Prikhozhan, a member of the POC, has noted that "there were complaints from Colony No. 9 about bad nutrition."

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