The Segezha prison colony No 7. Photo: Gleb Yarovoy, Semnasem.ru

Human Rights Court calls on urgent action in Dadin-case

Meanwhile, the convicted activist is taken to hospital in Petrozavodsk.
November 03, 2016

ADVERTISEMENT

The European Court of Human Rights has requested Russian authorities to make available documents on the state of health of Ildar Dadin, the convicted activist who says he is being subjected to serious torture in a Karelian prison colony.

In a letter to his wife, Dadin says he might not last long if the torture continues.

The case is now getting priority status in the European Court. A representative of Public Verdict, a organization offering legal assistance to victims of human rights abuse, says to newspaper Vedomosti, that a medical check by independent experts is to be conducted and results sent to the court by November 18th.

At the same time, Dadin was today taken the hospital in Petrozavodsk, the regional capital of Karelia. Head doctor Aleksey Kheifits says to Novaya Gazeta that examinations do not show body damage to the convict and that there is no need for medical treatment. 

Russian human rights ombudsman Tatiana Moskalkova has arrived to the town Segezha where Dadin is kept in prison colony No 7. She says the prisoner should be transferred to another penal colony, RIA Novosti reports.

Dadin himself in his letter underlines that he does not want a transfer. «I have repeatedly seen and heard how they torture also other prisoners, therefore my consciousness does not allow me to run away from here - I intend to fight in order to help others», he writes.

ADVERTISEMENT

Meanwhile, leader of the prison Sergey Kossiyev has been temporary removed from his post, gazeta.ru reports.

Representatives of Russian authorities believe the letter from Dadin could be a falsification. «I believe that he [Dadin] did not write anything, probably it is all made for him by others», Aleksandr Ruzanov, leader of the regional Public Observation Commission, said to 7x7-journal.

ldar Dadin was arrested on 3 December 2015 and subsequently sentenced to three years of jail. The sentence was later reduced to 2,5 years. He is the first person sentenced for violation of Article 212.1 in the Russian criminal code. Article 212.1 was adopted in July 2014. It describes «repeated violations of the rules of public gatherings».

The sentence says that Dadin had violated rules of public gatherings up to 30 times in the period 2012-2014. Among the rallies were protests against the 2012 presidential elections, Russian LGBT laws, the war in Ukraine and more.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Barents Observer Newsletter

After confirming you're a real person, you can write your email below and we include you to the subscription list.

Privacy policy