Human rights activists request initiation of criminal proceedings on humiliation of servicemen

Human rights activists accuse the military prosecutor's office of insufficient attention paid to non-statutory relationships in the Russian army. Representatives of the Russian national movement "For Human Rights" have addressed a letter to the Main Military Prosecutor's Office in which they request investigation of two cases of "dedovschina" in the relationships of conscripts. Lev Ponomaryov, chair of the Russian national movement "For Human Rights," reported to the "Novy Region", that human rights activists request initiation of criminal proceedings.

In particular, a tragic event happened to Roman Grigoriev who fled from his military unit in Stavropol Territory. The second-year conscripts fractured his scull and broke his teeth, after which he fled and addressed the military prosecutor's office of Balashikha garrison which decided to transfer the runaway to a military unit in the village of Zagorianskiy, Moscow Region. Soon he was dismissed from service due to sharply deteriorated health. A serviceman was dispatched from the Stavropol Territory unit to accompany the soldier home. This happened to be the second-year conscript who had broken Grigoriev's teeth. Having noticed his tormentor, Grigoriev died of a heart failure. His death was registered post factum in order not to pay compensation to the mother of the deceased, while the criminal investigation of his death was closed.

For reference, the persons accused on the case of Andrei Sychov, victim of dedovschina at Chelyabinsk tank school, have been informed on the completion of the preliminary investigation. "Today, on March 22, 2006, in the presence of the lawyers, all persons accused have been informed on the completion of the preliminary investigation of yet another case of non-statutory relationships in Chelyabinsk high military school where, Andrei Sychov, along with others, was recognized as victim," reports the investigation department of the military prosecutor's office of Trans-Volga-Urals military district.

According to the data of the prosecutor's office, a group of drunken old-timers from the training process support battalion at Chelyabinsk tank school had been beating eight younger conscripts, including Sychov, during the New Year holidays. As a result, his legs and genitals were amputated.

Among the persons accused is Alexander Sivyakov, resident of Novocherkassk (Rostov Region). The military prosecutor's office charges him with forcing Andrei Sychov to stay in a half-squatting position, inflicting blows on his legs, after which Sychov was placed to the hospital where his legs and genitals were amputated in January 2006. The military prosecutor's office states that sergeant Sivyakov went beyond his commission, and the court passed a decision to put Sivyakov into custody.