Human rights defenders comment on incident in Rostov SIZO

The hostage-taking incident in a SIZO (pre-trial prison) in Rostov-on-Don may be the result of a provocation, human rights defenders note. According to their version, the dead prisoners had handcuffs on their hands, and numerous violations had earlier been recorded in the SIZO itself.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on June 16, prisoners of the Rostov SIZO took two warders hostage. The prisoners identified themselves as members of the “Islamic State” (IS, a terrorist organization, banned in Russia by the court, – note of the “Caucasian Knot”). They demanded a car, firearms, and the opportunity to leave the SIZO. Law enforcers assaulted the building, the hostage-takers were killed, and the hostages were released. The SIZO where the incident took place is overcrowded and lacks staff, human rights defenders note.

The incident at the Rostov SIZO is a consequence of the incompetence of the Federal Penitentiary Service (known as FSIN) or the result of a provocation, believes Vladimir Osechkin*, a founder of the “Gulagu.net” human rights project.

“Prisoners nay not have mobile phones, a flag, and knives... This, of course, could be explained with corruption. However, the violation of the ban on keeping those accused under terrorism charges in the same cell is a very serious violation,” Vladimir Osechkin* said.

The human rights defender noted that the prisoners were able to open the bars in the SIZO.

Vladimir Osechkin* emphasized that the incident at the Rostov SIZO very much reminds him of the events of August 2022 in the Kalmyk penal colony, when FSB officers informed two prisoners that new criminal cases had been instituted against them and they were facing life sentences, after which the prisoners tried to attack penal colony employees.

“For these young Muslim radicals, the FSIN employees are dishonest people, and they are not ready to exist under their leadership for many more years ... They were ready to die, believing that a terrible end was better than endless terrible situation,” an analyst stated.

The fact that the incident at the Rostov SIZO was a provocation may be proved by the reaction of the special forces fighters who killed the prisoners. The analyst believes that two of the prisoners were killed after they were captured, as the video shows their hands behind their backs and handcuffed. “They could be probably killed out of fear that survivors would tell disgraceful things about the work of the special services,” the analyst suggested.

Ruslan Kutaev, the president of the Assembly of Caucasian Nations, also believes that at the time of their death, two out of the killed prisoners clearly did not pose a danger. Ruslan Kutaev suggests the provocation is aimed at uniting the people of Russia.

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