South-Ossetian authorities confirm use of force against prisoners on hunger strike

In the Tskhinvali penal colony, some of the prisoners who declared a hunger strike are forced to accept food, while several inmates continue the protest action, reports the South-Ossetian Minister of Justice. According to relatives, warders beat six prisoners.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on September 27, inmates of the Tskhinvali penal colony went on hunger strike. They complain about toughened rules for the transfer of food products. The penal colony was visited by MPs who managed to improve conditions of detention. However, relatives of the prisoners claimed that after the visit of the MPs, the prisoners were beaten by the warders.

Some of the hunger-strikers are forced to accept food, while several prisoners still continue their hunger strike, Zalina Lalieva, South-Ossetian Minister of Justice, has reported at a government meeting. The Minister confirmed that force was used against the prisoners. "The prisoners refused to come for verification," Zalina Lalieva stated.

According to Igor Naniev, South-Ossetian Minister of Internal Affairs, the Tskhinvali penal colony administration had to use force to establish "internal order and discipline" in the penitentiary institution.

The prisoners' relatives still insist that the warders beat those who refused to stop the hunger strike. "Many prisoners listened to threats and accepted food. Six others were beaten. The warders were kicking them mainly on their limbs, legs. Then they dragged the prisoners to a feeding area to force them to accept food," a female relative of one of the prisoners who preferred to remain anonymous told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on October 10, 2019 at 05:09 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.