Almaty city March 31, 2010
Coalition of Kazakhstan NGO against Torture (hereinafter – Coalition) expresses its extreme concern with regard to extraordinary event that took place on March 20, 2010 in penitentiary institution LA -155/8 of Zarechniy settlement, Almaty oblast.
On March 20, 2010 in the high security institution /tight institution LA – 155/8 convict Zhandos Sagatov born in 1983 was severely beaten in the quarantine unit during reception of the convicts.
According to the convict he has been beaten with truncheons, his head ducked into the lavatory basin and his head being kept with the torturer’s feet, at this the policemen flushed the water beating him with truncheons – this «procedure» is called by police members as to let a victim “go through barabulka”. Convict Zh.Sagatov told that he has signed all the papers regarding his familiarization with the regime but they continued beating him, gagged him, put bucket on his head and continued torturing him while he was unable even to say a word of consent with his conditions; thus, beating continued for several hours. As Zh.Sagitov said Deputy-Chief on operational work Kanat Syzdykov and convicts – members of the Nomocracy Council of the unit and 2 supervisors (he may identify them) participated in the battering. After the battering Zh.Sagatov was accommodated into the medical facility of this institution, his health has got pretty bad and he was transferred to the hospital of Kapshagai town; on Saturday he was performed an operation there. Then the convict Zh.Sagatov stayed in the resuscitation department of the Kapshagai town hospital. Currently, according to his relatives, Zh.Sagatov is undergoing a repeated surgery in the Almaty oblast hospital given that his health has dramatically got worse.
Members of the Coalition, which are at the same time members of the Public Review Board/ Commission (hereinafter – PRB) dealing with monitoring human rights implementation in penitentiary institutions of Almaty city and Almaty oblast – Ardak Zhanabilova and Inara Aldybaieva have visited Sagatov in the medical facility of this penitentiary institution and he showed them the bloody signs left by handcuffs and the right foot heel, which was cyanotic due to the beating, continuous blue area from the leg to the back, he also told them of bloody urination and gastrorrhagia; he is especially concerned about swelling in the groin area, which has developed after the beating with the truncheon (the picture has been taken).
Zh.Sagatov informed that he has developed a complaint to the RDoI of Kapshagai town and to the member of the CESCD (УКУИС) under the Ministry of Justice of the RK covering Almaty and Almaty oblast, specifically to the Chief of the IAD (Internal Affairs Department) and requested to file a criminal case under the fact of severe beating he has been subjected to by the members of the institution LA 155/8. The convict Zh.Sagatov requested PRB to interfere and supervise the process.
Coalition insists on holding an impartial investigation of the fact of severe beating the convict Zh.Sagatov has been subjected to on the part of the members of the institution LA 155/8 and on the part of convicts from the Nomocracy Council and demands that effective measures should be undertaken to prevent such things in future.
Coalition calls the Department of CESC covering Almaty city and Almaty oblast to inform the public as to the investigation results.
Coalition insists on inclusion of Coalition members into investigation of the aforementioned facts in line with the Joint Prikaz of the MoJ RK, SPO RK, NSC (KNB) RK and Agency of the RK on Control of Economic and Corruption Crimes “On Interaction of the Law Enforcement Bodies and Civil Society Subjects when Investigating Torture Related Complaints and other Impermissible Methods of Interrogation and Investigation as well as Criminal Prosecution under these Facts».
Contact data: Mcr.8, Appt. 4 “a”, office 423, 050035 Almaty, Ardak Zhanabilova, tel./fax 2559955, cell-phone: 8 701 716 4258, Inara Aldybaieva Cell phone : 8 777 238 7565.
Coalition of NGO of the Republic of Kazakhstan against Torture:
Kazakhstan International Human Rights and the Rule of Law Bureau
Committee on Monitoring Penal Reform and Human Rights
International Journalist Center MediaNet
Public Foundation “Sauygu”
Center of Legal Policy Research
Development and Adaptation Cente “Fenix”
South-Kazakhstan Bar Association, PSB in SKO
OS «Regional Center of New Information Technologies»
PF for Human Rights of Convicts and TB Control «Lutch Nadezhdy» (Ray of Hope)
