Press release, 21.10.2015
YABLOKO conducted a series of one-person picketing outside the State Duma against the adoption of the bill broadening the possibilities of the Federal Penitentiary Service officers to use physical force, impact munition and firearms against prisoners. Human rights defenses call the bill the sadists’ law. YABLOKO Chairman Sergei Mitrokhin and ex political prisoner charged with Bolotnaya Square rally case Nikolai Kavkazsky participated in the action.

The first reading of the bill will take place at 11:00 am today.

Deputy of the State Duma form the Just Russia party Tatyana Moskalkova took interest in the action and talked to YABLOKO leader about the bill. Sergei Mitrokhin managed to convince her to vote against the initiative. She promised to do so.

“According to the law norms, the number of grounds for using violence against prisoners will double. The use of impact munition (batons, stun guns) is allowed to restrain any сustody violations. So, an incorrectly made bed or not greeting a warder will become the sufficient grounds for using violence. This is nothing but sadism sending us back to the Stalin’s methods of treatment the prisoners which revives the GULAG system elements. The introduction of additional grounds for using force in our system of execution of punishment, which can hardly be called humane as it is, actually means the revival of the totalitarian system in places of confinement,” runs in the YABLOKO statement.