In the Novotroitsky City Court of the Orenburg region a court hearing with regard to former heads of Penal Colony-Settlement No 11 is coming to an end. Former head of this establishment Filyus Khusainov and his deputy Murat Kumarov are charged under three articles of the criminal code of Russia. They share two articles: sexual battery performed by a group of persons by previous concert and exceeding official authority. In addition, Mr Khusainov is charged with abuse of office and Mr Kumarov – with bribery. Today State Prosecutor Maksim Pimakhin requested ten years of jail time for Khusainov and eight – for Kumarov.
(Filyus Khusainov, Murat Kumarov)
As we have previously reported, human rights defenders started working on this situation in summer of 2013, when Irina Balashova applied for help. According to the woman, her partner Sergey Nikonorov was trapped in unbearable and inhuman conditions created by the staff of Penal Colony (settlement) no. 11 for Orenburg region, which is headed by Filyus Khusainov: convicts were systematically subjected to ill-treatment, including threats of sexual abuse. The treatment had been caused by Nikonorov’s refusals to work at construction sites, and his forced labor complaints lodged with the Investigative Committee and the Prosecutor’s Office.
It is in connection with this episodes that former head of this correctional establishment Filyus Khusainov was convicted and sentenced to three years of jail time to be served in standard regime penal colony.
In end of 2013 the picture of appalling abuse of power in Colony-Settlement No.11 was supplemented by testimonies of convicts K. and D. (full names are not given due to ethical reasons), who informed that they systematically abused by the Colony’s officers. They wrote letters to the Orenburg branch of the Committee Against Torture out of despair, since after the failed attempt to flee (motivated by batteries) one of them was raped by the convict from the so called «core group» in the presence of the Colony officers and at their order and this was recorded by the administration officers using the video recorder.
– Today the inquest is over and the parties of the trial started debates. State Prosecutor Maksim Pimakhin thinks that the guilt of the defenders is completely proven for all crimes they are charged with, and requested ten years of jail time for Khusainov and eight – for Kumarov.
Mr Pimakhin also asked the court to strip the former superiors of their Major ranks, – member of the Committee for the Prevention of Torture Vyacheslav Dyundin, representing the victim’s interests in court, informs.