Investigators request arrest of Yaroslavl prison chief, deputy on suspicion of organizing inmate torture
MOSCOW. Feb 18 (Interfax) - Investigators probing inmate abuse at the IK-1 correctional facility in Yaroslavl have asked the court to arrest the prison chief, Dmitry Nikolayev, and his deputy Igit Mikhailov, the Investigative Committee said.
"Today, IK-1's acting head Dmitry Nikolayev and his deputy Igit Mikhailov were held on suspicion of organizing said crime. The investigation is petitioning their remand in custody," the committee said in a statement obtained by Interfax on Monday.
The pair were detained as part of an inquiry into exceeding of authority after suspicions were raised that their employees used violence towards the inmates, the committee said.
"According to the inquiry, on June 29 the inmate [unnamed] was taken to one of IK-1 premises for searches. Also present there were prison employees Maxim Yablokov, Igor Bogdanov, Ruslan Tsvetkov, Alexei Brovkin, Dmitry Solovyov, Sergei Drachev, Ivan Kalashnikov, Sergei Yefremov, Alexander Morozov, Andrei Zybin, Alexei Mikityuk, and Alexei Andreyev," the committee said.
"Acting beyond their official powers, [the staff] used physical violence against the inmate by repeatedly punching and kicking the man and hitting him with special gear in the head, torso and limbs, causing him physical pain and injuries."
Public Verdict said earlier that Nikolayev and Mikhailov had been detained.
Earlier, there was a broad public outcry after footage of Makarov being tortured at IK-1 on June 29, 2017, was released by Public Verdict and Novaya Gazeta in the summer of 2018. A criminal inquiry was launched and all suspects were arrested.
According to the human rights group, the arrested IK-1 officers told investigators that in June 2017 it was the prison chief Nikolayev and his deputy Mikhailov who "approved" the beating of Makarov.