TITLE: Former Chechen Prisoner Comments on Russians' Brutality in Camp

AUTHOR:

PUB: Chechenpress Web

DATE: April 18, 2001

Testimony of Akhmed Arbiyevich Gadayev, born in 1979, a resident of Znamenskoye village Gadayev was detained on 27 January near the village of Staryye Atagi. He was not a militant. He was detained because he was not a permanent resident of Staryye Atagi. Gadayev and 48 people from the village were arrested and all of them were taken to Chernokozovo camp. Gadayev was brutally beaten up, humiliated and mocked. They rested on a concrete floor. Everything he had, including his clothes, were taken away from him. Later, his trousers and shirt were returned to him. The Russians hit him on the head with truncheons, butts and a mallet. All prisoners were forced to crawl or run on all fours and were sprayed with cold water. There were 34 prisoners in a cell designed for 10 people. The cell had no ceiling but railing and rain and snow came through. Guards spat at prisoners and threw cigarette-ends in the cell. They were given cold food and all of them had to manage with one cup of tea and one spoon. For six weeks they did not wash themselves. Then, all of them were taken to a bath house and were given five minutes to wash themselves with only one bucket of water. Before a commission's visit to the camp, they were told that their situation will get worse if they complained. Then, a number of Kabardians visited the camp and the prisoners' situation improved and they were even provided with beds. Fourty five out of 49 detainees in Staryye Atagi were later released, including Gadayev on 18 March. [Signed] Chechenpress state news agency. Source: Chechenpress web site, Tbilisi, in Russian 1510 GMT 16 Apr 01 END top