After prisoners' protest action, Tumgoev faces a new sentence

Timur Tumgoev, a native of Vladikavkaz, took part in a prisoners' hunger strike in the colony and cut himself in protest against custody conditions; now, he faces a new prison term under the article on disrupting the work of the correctional institution.

Tumgoev was one of 40 hunger strikers in a colony in the Saratov Region, said Sergey Slepukhin, an advocate. "I’m not Tumgoev's advocate; I came to another prisoner, but I talked with a total of five prisoners," he told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. According to the advocate, he saw "numerous cuts" on Tumgoev's hands and "certain marks" on his face. "He said that he was threatened with violence, and that a case would be brought against him under Article 321 'Disorganization of the work of institutions providing isolation from the society'."

The hunger strikers protested against physical violence, seizure of personal belongings and poor meals, said Sergey Slepukhin. The protest action has already been stopped because of the prisoners' state of health.

In the audio record provided to the "Caucasian Knot" by his sister, Tumgoev himself quotes threats from the head of the correctional institution. "Here, there is no religion at all. You will keep your religion behind the fence." "I am accused that I do not follow the rules of the internal order, but I do everything except that I am obliged to wear a beard by my religion… I am afraid for my health and my life," Timur Tumgoev has emphasized.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on May 29, 2021 at 09:59 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.