Modern Chernokozovo

By Vestnik Kavkaza

Chernokozovo is the village where the detention facility was situated, the staff of which was accused of torture and abuses over prisoners. The topic was “promoted” by the journalist of Radio Svoboda, Andrey Babitsky, who was arrested by army intelligence and kept in the detention facility for a while. “This is a real death camp. Chechens are beaten there,” Babitsky said. The Russian authorities rejected the information, and the delegation of the European Committee on Prevention of Torture which visited Chechnya in April 2000 didn’t express any demands to the detention facility. In 2005 a maximum-security penal colony was established in Chernokozovo. Human right activists criticized it as well.

Recently, members of the Presidential Council on Human Rights travelled to Chernokozovo and examined changes in the situation in past years.

“We talked to prisoners – both those who are under minimum security and those who are under maximum security – and visited their living space,” the head of the Presidential Council on Human Rights, Mikhail Fedotov, said. “Unfortunately, the industrial space hasn’t been restored yet, and people are not involved in a working process. However, the gym is being reconstructed; special terminals for learning laws and getting necessary information have been established.”

Prisoners of Chernokozovo complained to human right activists about their investigations and trials. “We note that the Judiciary rejects releases on parole, paying no attention to the health conditions of prisoners and documents received from the colony. The colony applies for release, the colony writes that the prisoner is very sick. But the trial declines it. I cannot understand the logic of such verdicts,” Fedotov says.

At the same time, the human right activists state that there are no inter-ethnic or inter-religious conflicts in the colony. “As for the village of Chernokozovo, I made a joke, when we were leaving: “Good job! You prepared for our visit – painted fences and built houses.” In general it seems rather safe,” Fedotov said. “Granted that in the first Chechen campaign severe battles took place there, and a lot was destroyed. Today people live in normal conditions.”