Human rights defenders report on Chechen convict's hunger strike

Beslan Gadaev, a native of Chechnya, has gone on a hunger strike after being transferred to a Karelian colony due to pressure from the colony staff, human rights defenders report, adding that Gadaev is constantly kept in the dungeon (punishment cell); and he hasn't seen his relatives since his detention in 2006.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in 2006, Beslan Gadaev, accused of grave crimes, was extradited by Ukrainian authorities. He was sentenced to 19 years of freedom deprivation; then, two more years were added. Gadaev stated that confessions were knocked out of from him under torture; Anna Politkovskaya wrote about this case in her last article.

Gadaev stated that he is harassed by the colony staff. He is continuously kept in the dungeon; he is not allowed to use his own utensils; and the colony staff provoke him, the "Civic Assistance" Committee* has informed.

According to human rights defenders, on May 16, Gadaev was given 14 days of additional punishment without returning to an ordinary cell and without holding the disciplinary commission, which is a violation of the law.

Gadaev has stated that he fears for his life. Earlier, the bosses of the colony in the Vladimir Region, from where Gadaev was transferred to a colony in Karelia, threatened him.

"It is outrageous when an inmate is all the time transported from one colony to another ... At this stage, problems with food arise, since there is no special food for Muslim prisoners, and they are often transported half-starved," human rights defenders have pointed out, noting that Gadaev's rights were violated in other penal colonies, where he was subjected to punishments because of his nationality.

*Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.