Nagavkin reported violation of prisoners' rights in the colony

The sister of human rights activist Igor Nagavkin on July 1 handed over to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent a letter from her brother with a complaint addressed to the Volgograd Region Prosecutor for Supervision of Law Enforcement in Correctional Institutions. Nagavkin asks the prosecutor's office to conduct an investigation into the employees of the penal colony where he is serving his sentence, who, according to the human rights activist, violate the rights of prisoners held in the punishment cell. Thus, according to Nagavkin, newly arrived convicts "on their own" after a long binge of alcohol are placed in the punishment cell "for security". They begin to hallucinate and become hysterical in the cells of the isolation ward.

Thus, the lives and health of convicts are at risk

"They behave very loudly, including at night, because they are starting to have psychosis. They need the help of qualified doctors and hospitalization in a drug treatment center to provide them with assistance, but they are kept in a punishment cell. A general practitioner who does not have a license as a drug addiction specialist or psychiatrist prescribes treatment for them. "Thus, the lives and health of prisoners are endangered," the human rights activist warned.

Nagavkin noted that noisy neighbors disturb the peace of other prisoners in the punishment cell both day and night. "But you never pay any attention to this lawlessness during your visits to the penal colony," Nagavkin addressed the prosecutor.

He also reported that on June 23, the institution's employees again subjected him to a humiliating, full, unscheduled strip search. During the search, Nagavkin's body was examined "under the pretext that prohibited items were not found." "Also, the [colony] administration illegally violates the rights of prisoners in the punishment cell to use books from the library, issuing them for only an hour and a half from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., which contradicts paragraph 538 of the Internal Regulations," Nagavkin told the prosecutor.

The human rights activist also said that on March 25, the penal colony received a ruling from Judge E.V. Kovaleva, which she had drawn up on March 24 in Nagavkin's case. The colony's management was supposed to give this document to Nagavkin. "But it was not given to me. And I received it only in May after a request to the court," Nagavkin expressed his indignation.

He is constantly subjected to these humiliating strip searches

"I don't know how to help him. He is in torture conditions. He is constantly subjected to these humiliating strip searches. Parcels, including medicine, are impossible, it is impossible to come for a visit. Telephone conversations are also unavailable. We communicate through letters, which often arrive late. I contacted the ombudsman - there is no response from him yet. They are simply mocking my brother. "He has been in solitary confinement since November 2024 continuously - they release him and put him back in solitary confinement the same day," Nagavkin's sister Natalya Shishlina told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Nagavkin's complaint may contain facts of violation of prisoners' rights, believes Nagavkin's lawyer, human rights activist Valentin Bogdan.

He is not in a position now to represent the interests of other persons

"His information requires (prosecutor's) verification. The question here is how to write a complaint, since the prosecutor may respond to it formally and as a result, measures (responses) will not be taken. Especially as far as the protection of the rights of alcoholics and drug addicts is concerned - well, they can easily back out, and then Igor will again be the one on the receiving end. He is not in a position now to represent the interests of other people. "Unfortunately," he told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

If the data presented in Igor Nagavkin's complaint is confirmed, then we are talking about a violation of the requirements of the Federal Law "On the Fundamentals of Health Protection of Citizens in the Russian Federation" (N 323-FZ) and the Criminal Executive Code of the Russian Federation, lawyer Sergey Ivaschenko told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Thus, according to paragraph 3 of Article 26 of the law mentioned by the lawyer (the rights of persons detained, taken into custody, serving a sentence in the form of imprisonment), prisoners "have the right to receive medical care in medical organizations of the state health care system and the municipal health care system, as well as to invite specialist doctors from the said medical organizations for consultations." This is done at the expense of budgetary allocations from the federal budget. According to paragraph 3 of Article 101 of the Criminal Executive Code of the Russian Federation (Medical and sanitary support for convicts sentenced to imprisonment), "the administration of correctional institutions is responsible for the implementation of established sanitary, hygienic and anti-epidemic requirements that ensure the protection of the health of convicts."

In special cases, disciplinary sanctions may be taken against guilty employees of the correctional institution

"Regulatory authorities may identify violations of prisoners' rights to medical care. In this case, the prosecutor's office, and then, based on the results of the prosecutor's inspection, Roszdravnadzor may intervene. In this case, the supervisory authorities send the head of the colony orders to eliminate the violations identified by the inspection. In special cases, disciplinary sanctions may be taken against guilty employees of the correctional institution," the lawyer said.

If violations of prisoners' rights lead to serious consequences for their health or to their death, criminal cases may be initiated against employees of the institutions, Ivaschenko noted. "For example, if the investigation finds that the death of a prisoner was caused by negligence due to improper performance of professional duties by a colony employee, then, according to Part 2 of Article 109 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, punishment may follow in the form of restriction of freedom for up to three years, or forced labor for the same period. If several prisoners are sent to the other world due to the fault of a prison employee, then their imprisonment will be increased by up to four years,” said Sergei Ivaschenko.