MOSCOW, June 20 (R-Sport) – Tatarstan authorities said Thursday that they plan on relocating an unspecified number of prisoners from Kazan to detention centers elsewhere in the region ahead of the 2013 Summer Universiade, which begins next month in the capital.
Speaking at a press conference, Tatarstan penitentiary services chief Daufit Hamadishin said the transfers were merely preventative security measures as more than 10,000 student athletes were expected to descend on Kazan from July 6 to 17.
Hamadishin noted that the region has not seen a prison escape in more than 10 years.
While he did not reveal the number of inmates taking part in the relocation program, he told the RBC news agency that it amounted to “not many.” According to RBC, Tatarstan is home to three prisons, one labor camp and two temporary holding centers for people awaiting trial.
It remains unclear when the moves, which are believed to already be underway, would be complete.
Hamadishin told RBC that the prisoners were “likely to return” once the Universiade finished.
In the wake of the deadly Boston Marathon bombings in April, Tatarstan’s sports ministry said authorities planned to beef up regional security during the Universiade, one of the world's largest sporting events based on athlete participation.
