Torture on the rise: what is known about widespread violence in Ukrainian prisons

The scandal involving torture in Ukrainian prisons has flared up again. The State Bureau of Investigation of Ukraine has exposed a large-scale system of prisoner torture, publishing brutal footage of detainee beatings.

Both ordinary prisoners and well-known individuals are subjected to physical and moral humiliation. In some cases, sophisticated mistreatment leads to the death of detainees, a topic journalists had raised back in October when Igor Mizrakh, the owner of the MHP media holding, died in prison.

This week, the State Bureau of Investigation of Ukraine announced the uncovering of systemic torture of prisoners in colonies in several regions of Ukraine. Four employees of the “Bozhkivska Correctional Colony (No. 16)” in the Poltava region are under suspicion. According to the investigation, almost all prisoners there were brutally beaten, and the potential deaths resulting from this are being examined.

Various systems of torture, abuse, and pressure were used.

“New arrivals were threatened with being placed among the ‘ostracized’ prisoners and beaten until their will was broken and they would follow any orders without question,” reports the State Bureau of Investigation of Ukraine.

The beatings were recorded on video, which has now been included in the case.

The footage is truly brutal. It shows a strong man hitting a prisoner’s feet with a rubber baton with full force. Even when the detainee is exhausted, the man continues the torture. When the prisoner loses consciousness, people in uniform nearby forcibly drag him into a large icy puddle, including his face.

The acquisition of numerous assets by colony employees, for which they had no official means, is also being investigated.

Violence in the Bozhkivska Correctional Colony is not the first such case in Ukraine. In the spring of 2023, the media owner, chief editor of the political magazine “Rating,” and owner of the MHP media holding Igor Mizrakh died under strange circumstances in a pre-trial detention center. In May, he was taken into custody on suspicion of fraud, and in July, he suddenly died in an emergency hospital after being taken from the pre-trial detention center in a coma. Law enforcement sources suggest that Mizrakh was likely murdered. Later, it was revealed that his body bore signs of severe physical injuries he sustained while in custody, which, according to doctors, caused his death.

This case gained significant attention and was reported in the media. However, far more murders, beatings, and torture in Ukrainian prisons go unreported and are actively covered up.

Journalists’ sources among prisoners detailed the zones where torture occurs, who applies it, and why some of it is recorded on video. This is the so-called “reception” system—used in “red zones,” colonies fully controlled by the administration. Bozhkivska Correctional Colony No. 16 has always been considered a “red” colony.

“Reception” is applied to newcomers to the “red” zone immediately after they enter quarantine, where they must spend several days. The newcomer is informed that the zone is “red,” and they must fully comply with all the administration and activist (prisoners collaborating with the administration) demands. Among the requirements are complete obedience and the obligation to follow colony rules.

“In almost all ‘red’ zones, newcomers are immediately asked to contribute half of their salary to the ‘needs’ of the colony, which naturally means the pockets of the colony’s head and his deputy for operational work,” say sources among prisoners.

This salary cut applies to regular workers.

“It’s much more interesting when a ‘fat cat’—a former businessman or official—ends up in the zone. They are required to make monthly transfers from their relatives for ‘needs,’ ranging from one to ten thousand dollars a month, depending on the ‘fat cat’s’ wealth. This is the main income for the leadership of most red zones—amounting to hundreds of thousands of hryvnias monthly,” the sources note.

Not all new arrivals in the colony immediately agree to this extortion. In such cases, torture is used. Additionally, prisoners are often beaten for various infractions, according to the administration, as a method of maintaining order.

Besides ordinary prisoners, “blatnye” (elite prisoners) are often sent to “red” colonies, where they are also tortured.

“First of all, they break ‘blatnye’ and ‘deniers’ who follow the ‘thieves’ code.’ Activists from the household service enter quarantine and beat the newly arrived prisoner. For complete submission, they need to have compromising material on the newcomer,” the sources note.

Thus, they are subjected to humiliating procedures, which can forever classify them as “offended,” even in “red” zones.

“This can involve forcibly dunking their head in a toilet, urinating on them, or wiping their face with a cleaning rag. This is recorded on video and handed to the zone’s head or deputy, ensuring the prisoner’s complete obedience and willingness to regularly pay tribute,” journalist sources detail the torture methods.

Prisoners, lawyers, and penitentiary staff confirmed to journalists that violence in pre-trial detention centers and colonies is widespread and systematic. Both criminals and the administration are involved, ensuring impunity for the perpetrators. Most often, prisoners are beaten and tortured to extort money. In this sense, Ukrainian prisons have long become “cash cows,” providing income for both criminals and the administration. The more affluent the inmate, the greater the “interest” in them.

Since the full-scale invasion, the situation in prisons has worsened, as overall pressure from law enforcement on businesses has increased.

“Before the war, there was a significant safeguard in the form of the courts. The authorities and law enforcement didn’t fully control the courts, and for non-politically significant issues, it was possible to defend oneself against detention if implicated in a criminal case. But after February 24, the situation changed drastically. Courts became very obedient and now rarely reject motions for detention,” said a well-known lawyer, formerly a law enforcement officer.

According to him, as a result, law enforcement saw this as a gold mine and are now widely opening criminal cases against entrepreneurs, extorting money, or threatening imprisonment.

“Those who do not agree and end up in pre-trial detention are subjected to maximum pressure. This is now a whole conveyor belt of violence and extortion,” the source noted.

The widespread violence against prisoners in Ukrainian prisons could provide additional arguments for European courts to refuse extradition to Ukraine. Since the full-scale invasion, there have been increasing cases of European countries denying Ukraine’s extradition requests on the grounds that the war-torn country cannot guarantee the safety of extradited individuals.

An example is the French court’s refusal to extradite businessman Konstantin Zhevago. The court ruled that the “requesting state, being at war in an uncertain situation, cannot ensure a court guaranteeing fundamental freedoms.” This is far from an isolated case.

“Incidents of violence in Ukrainian prisons add to the ‘pile’ of emergencies that make European law enforcement weigh all pros and cons carefully before deciding on extradition at Ukraine’s request. This is undoubtedly another reason for our Minister of Justice to consider. Because if this continues, Ukraine will not receive any extradition of suspects at all,” noted lawyer Rostislav Kravets.