MOSCOW, November 2 (RIA Novosti) - Russian justice officials said Thursday inspectors had revealed major rule infringements, including physical assault cases, in a prison in Russia's Urals.
Officials in the Justice Ministry said eight inmates in a Perm Territory prison had told inspectors from the ministry and the Federal Penitentiary Service, "prison officials battered inmates in isolation wards to demonstrate their power and authority."
The inspection was launched October 30 following the president's instructions to clarify the situation in penal institutions in the Perm Territory after the issue was raised at his annual live question-and-answer session October 25.
The ministry said the results of the inspection had been submitted to prosecutors, who will decide whether to launch criminal proceedings.
A deputy head of the Federal Penitentiary Service, Vladimir Semenyuk, said last week that the Perm Territory was a difficult region with 50,000 prisoners in 44 penal colonies, four pre-trial detention centers and 50 other penitentiary service facilities. He said each prisoner had only 3 square meters of space, compared to an average of 4.2 sq.m. in the rest of the country.
