Gulagu.net: Prisoners are recruited in Russian colonies to participate in the war

Translation from Meduza

In the colonies of different regions of Russia, prisoners are recruited to participate in the war. This was reported by the project for the protection of the rights of prisoners Gulagu.net, citing messages on its hotline.

The messages cited in the telegram channel Gulagu.net talk about the recruitment of prisoners in the colonies of the Nizhny Novgorod region, Mordovia, and the Krasnodar Territory.

"IK-5 UFSIN of the Nizhny Novgorod region. On July 6, 22, about 10 people were taken away. The chief called in the morning, the Cheka and the general arrived in the evening. 10 minutes after the call their things were collected. Some were taken away, some were closed while in the hospital. Some of the fighters were not called, ”one of the messages says.

Another report says that “some people “in civilian clothes” also came to the correctional institutions of the Department of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Mordovia, called those who have combat experience, offered to go to fight.”

On July 4, the Important Stories publication reported that prisoners in IK-7 "Yablonevka" and IK-6 "Obukhovo" in St. Petersburg were offered to go to fight in the Donbas as part of the Wagner PMC, promising to pay 200,000 rubles and amnesty. This publication was told by relatives of people serving sentences in these colonies.

Two days later, sources of Important Stories reported that about 40 prisoners of the Yablonevka colony were taken to the Rostov region. 11 people were taken out of the Obukhovo colony (whether they were those who signed up as "volunteers" is unknown).