Soldier beaten healthless in Pechenga
A conscript has been hospitalized after a serious case of beating in one of the Russian military compounds near the border to Norway.
The young man is now getting intensive care in a local hospital, Regnum reports. The case has been reported to the Solders’ Mothers, an organization working against violence and abuse in the Russian Armed Forces.
The man beaten is reported to come from Lovozero in Murmansk Oblast.
According to the Soldiers’ Mothers, hardly any Russian conscripts complete the service without having experiences cases of violence. For disciplinary reasons, officers, commanders and the more experienced soldiers exercise beating of conscript newcomers, a report from the organization reads. The military areas can be described as “lawless territory” where law enforcement authorities and military organs allow major violations to take place, the report adds.
Russia in 2008 cut the conscription period to one year of service. At the same time, the authorities boosted the number of conscripts by 50 percent. In spring 2009, an estimated 305,000 Russian conscripts were enrolled into the armed forces, the Soldiers’ Mothers organization says.
