Nagavkin's statements about prisoners' torture alarm law enforcers

The sister of Igor Nagavkin, a human rights defender, is concerned about law enforcers' attempt to informally obtain the originals of the statements about the torture of prisoners from Kalmykia, which her brother had presented in court.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the Leninsky Court of the Volgograd Region is hearing the case of Igor Nagavkin, who is charged with disorganizing the work of the SIZO (pre-trial prison). He has stated a provocation to place him into a cell with paedophiles, which caused a conflict with the SIZO staff. On January 21, the SIZO administration abandoned financial claims against the human rights defender, but the process continues in the case of disorganizing the SIZO's operation.

Natalia, Igor's sister, has informed about an "incomprehensible call" she received to her phone on January 28. The caller introduced himself as an employee of the prosecutor's office and tried to find out from her where the original statements of the above Kalmyk prisoners who had reported torture at SIZO-1 of Volgograd were located.

On January 15, Nagavkin stated that two prisoners who were in transit from a SIZO in Kalmykia to a penal colony in the Volgograd Region were placed into his cell and told him that "they had been subjected to physical violence by the staff of the Volgograd SIZO." One of the prisoners reported that they had kicked him in the head, then took off his shoes and began beating him on the heels with a stick. The prisoner was insulted and forced to sign various statements.

Human rights defenders from the Fund "In Defence of Prisoners' Rights"* have explained to Natalia that such calls are illegal.

*Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.