"TWO HOURS OF PUBLIC BEATING FOR REFUSING TO COLLABORATE WITH THE NEW ADMINISTRATION"
The UnMode team continues to work with Ukrainian former prisoners who are being released from Russian detention centers for foreign citizens/immigration prisons.
We meet these individuals at the Georgian border, provide temporary safe housing, accompany them through official channels for document restoration/issuance, organize consultations with doctors and lawyers, document and appeal human rights violations, torture, and war crimes, and help Ukrainians return home.
In the process of getting to know them, we learn a lot about their stories, often filled with sorrow, violence, and discrimination. That's why we couldn't help but share the following story: Meet Andriy.
Andriy (name changed) served his sentence in Goloprystanska Penal Colony No. 7 (Ukraine). After the occupation of this part of the Kherson region, some of the colony's administration sided with the Russian forces. According to Andriy, this immediately affected the conditions of the inmates. There were disruptions in food supply, lack of basic medical assistance, communication, and the ability to receive packages. Essentially, the people found themselves under dual occupation, with some prisoners collaborating with the new "authorities" in order to survive.
Andriy says that beatings and humiliation became a common occurrence, often happening in plain view of everyone in the prison yard.
This is exactly what happened to him once: as a punishment for refusing to collaborate with the collaborators, he was beaten for almost two hours in front of the entire colony. After his release, Andriy ended up in Georgia after being held in the Krasnodar Krai immigration prison in russia.
▪️Recall that between October 22nd and November 6th, the occupation authorities of russia transported over 2500 Ukrainian prisoners - citizens of Ukraine - from Goloprystanska Penal Colony No. 7 in the Kherson region to russian territory via Crimea.
▪️After serving their sentences, Ukrainians are being systematically placed in immigration prisons throughout russia. Due to the absence of well-defined procedures for repatriation, former Ukrainian prisoners are being held indefinitely.
On behalf of Andriy, UnMode is preparing a series of appeals to international human rights organizations and plans to approach the Special Procedures of the UN Human Rights Council, the European Court of Human Rights, and the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine.
UnMode calls on human rights organizations and the public to pay attention to this issue and demands fair and humane treatment of Ukrainian prisoners, regardless of their place of detention.
UnMode continues to support Ukrainians held in russian prisons and seeks resources to help each of them return home. It may seem impossible, but despite everything, we believe in the power of civil society and the power of goodness. Good always triumphs over any evil. If you know Ukrainian citizens held in russian prisons or their relatives, please share our contact information:
E-mail: unmode.contact@gmail.com
Telegram: +380 633 71 34 37
Signal: +995 591 06 02 55
If you are a lawyer, legal expert, journalist, human rights defender, or specialist in the issues of HIV infection, tuberculosis, prisoners, refugees, and migrants, and if you have ideas, willingness, and time to help Ukrainian citizens held in russian prisons, please contact us.