Russia: Leaked Video Shows Prison Staff Torturing a Prisoner

Last week, Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta released a video recorded by a Penitentiary Service employee on June 29, showing guards torturing the prisoner Evgeny Makarov in Yaroslavl prison.

On the 10-minute video, one can see a room full of guards dressed in gray uniform around Makarov, who is lying face down on a table. Some are sitting on him, others are hitting his feet with their fists and clubs. Then, guards remove his pants and underwear while periodically throwing buckets of water on him.

According to Makarov, the guards also covered his face with a towel and poured water over his head to simulate drowning.

Makarov was tortured because of alleged bad behavior. He is acused of violently insulted a guard. As a result, the Investigative Committee was reluctant to open a criminal case. The inspector who watched the video said that he “did not see any abuses of authority.” Prison officials claimed that Makarov had been inciting other prisoners to disobey the guards.

But after the video was released on July 20, federal investigators in Yaroslavl opened a criminal case under Article 286 of the Russian Criminal Code: “abuse of authority using violence.”.

Link to the Video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=531&v=Q6QYXvbkkws&has_verified=1

(Warning! The video contains disturbing scenes of violence)

By Antoine Dewaest

Photo: Novaya Gazeta