Federal Penitentiary Service denies poor conditions of prisoners in Chechnya

Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) has denied complaints by prisoners in Chechnya regarding abuses of authority and poor living conditions. Previously, prisoners sent a letter complaining of a violation of their rights, after which their conditions worsened even more.

The statements were made on 20 March to the independent Russian media outlet Caucasian Knot, which sent an official request to the FSIN for comment following the publication of a complaint by inmates of Correctional Colony No. 2 in the Chechen settlement of Chernokozovo.

In a collective complaint addressed to Chechen Head Ramzan Kadyrov, which was published by the opposition Telegram channel NIYSO on 14 March, more than 30 prisoners accused the head of the penal colony, Aslan Murtazov, and his deputy Akhmed Mutuev, of systematically extorting money from them. The inmates claimed that the administration officials demanded between ₽100,000–₽350,000 ($1,200--$4,200) in exchange for issuing favourable character references, which are necessary for early parole. They additionally highlighted that even after paying the requested amounts, the promised documents were not provided, and inmates were faced with repeated demands for payment.

The prisoners also claimed they were forced to raise funds for repairs and construction projects within the colony. For instance, inmates reported collecting ₽150,000 ($1,700) for the construction of a swimming pool, which they were later denied access to.

They also complained of regular searches during which personal belongings were confiscated, as well as demands for payment per kilogramme of food parcels sent by relatives — a practice not commonly seen in other regions of Russia.

Two days after NIYSO published the complaint, the Telegram channel reported that the prisoners’ conditions had deteriorated further. It was alleged that they were deprived of access to food during the holy month of Ramadan, restricted from receiving packages, and barred from physically visiting the prison shop. Meals provided in the canteen were described as substandard, with reports of maggots in porridge and meat of unknown origin with an unpleasant odour. According to the prisoners, this left them no choice but to rely on online orders from the prison shop, which allegedly generates substantial profits for the administration.

According to the FSIN’s office in Chechnya, no complaints have been received from inmates regarding mistreatment or reprisals.

‘From 2024 to the present, no complaints or statements from convicts regarding abuse of authority by the administration have been received by Federal State Institution Correctional Colony No. 2 of the FSIN of Russia for the Chechen Republic’, an FSIN spokesperson told Caucasian Knot.

‘No violations have been found in the organisation of meals or in the receipt of food parcels. Inmates receive parcels and packages in accordance with Article 90 of the Russian Penal Code, without exceeding established limits’, read the FSIN response, which was signed by Colonel Akhmed Adaev, Head of the regional FSIN office.

According to the press service of Chechnya’s Commissioner for Human Rights Mansur Soltaev, he visited the colony in Chernokozovo in February 2024. During the visit, he inspected facilities including the canteen and medical unit and spoke with inmates. The official report stated that no complaints about living conditions were received. Soltaev also claimed that prison conditions in Chechnya were better than in other regions of Russia, attributing this to the attention given by the regional leadership to the rights of inmates.

Previously, in January 2008, prisoners from the colony in Chernokozovo submitted complaints about poor living conditions and the use of unlawful methods by prison staff. At that time, inmates reported cold cells, a lack of hot and cold water, poor-quality food, and extortion by prison employees.