Activist from Volzhsky achieves better conditions at SIZO

Vyacheslav Koshelev, an activist, has held a three-day dry hunger strike, demanding better custody conditions at the SIZO (pre-trial prison), where he is awaiting a decision on his appeal. SIZO bosses agreed to transfer Koshelev to another cell, his advocate, Roman Zaitsev, has informed.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on March 26, in the city of Volzhsky, law enforcers detained and beat up a local resident, Vyacheslav Koshelev, who also has Ukrainian citizenship, when he was walking in a T-shirt and cap with Ukrainian symbols. The court fined him for hooliganism. On August 5, it became known that Koshelev was placed for compulsory treatment in a psychiatric hospital for using violence against a policeman. Roman Zaitsev, his advocate, has pointed out that the court made the decision on the compulsory treatment of Koshelev, based of the policeman's words, who had stated that the activist had hit him.

After the court verdict, Koshelev was placed into a cell with a prisoner who allegedly had a psychiatric disorder, Roman Zaitsev has explained. "There was no running water. The toilet was full of faeces that were not flushed. The second convict also neglected hygiene procedures," the "Kavkaz.Realii"** has quoted the advocate as saying.