Based on the materials of the SBI, the leadership of the correctional colony, on whose instructions the convicts were tortured, will be tried

The SBI employees have completed the investigation into the members of the criminal organization operating on the territory of the state institution "Berdiansk Correctional Colony (№77)". The convicts were tortured in the colony for the purpose of personal enrichment of its leadership. The indictments were sent to the court.

The extortions and tortures in the penitentiary institution were carried out during 2016-2020. The leadership implemented the whole procedure for torturing convicts in the colony and extorting money from them and their relatives. The tortures were directly committed by other convicts.

From the moment of arrival to the colony, each of the convicts went through a tough admission procedure, during which they were subjected to sophisticated types of tortures, physical and psychological pressure, the main purpose of which was to break the will of the person and force to unquestioningly follow any instructions.

After that, the convict fell into the hands of other convicts, selected in advance by the administration of the institution, who had agreed to participate in the criminal organization and had been determined to be the perpetrators of illegal actions.

According to the criminal plan, the convicts were subjected to the numerous tortures on the daily basis during the first 14 days of their stay in the quarantine and distribution section. They were beaten with a plastic or wooden stick on the feet, fists in the area of the vertebrae of the neck, twisted arms behind the back, beaten with the stick on the gluteal region, beating off the phalanges of the fingers with the plastic or wooden sticks, and fungal infections were brought under the nails with the contaminated sewing needle. They also used binding and immobilization of a person for a long time, standing in one position for several hours, squatting more than 500 or more times, unreasonably mopping of the floor during the whole daylight hours, etc.

During the break between torture, the victims were offered to call their relatives and ask them to transfer funds to the card, the amounts of which ranged from one to hundred thousand hryvnias, depending on the financial situation of the relatives.

 Unable to withstand the daily torture, the victims and their relatives were forced to comply with the demands of the torturers and send money.

The collected funds were sent monthly to the penitentiary institution in parcels for specific convicts, then were withdrawn from them and handed over to the leaders of the criminal organization.

Currently, the indictments against the Former Head of the state institution "Berdiansk Correctional Colony (№77)" and his first deputy, as well as 7 convicts who voluntarily agreed to become members of the criminal organization and executors of torture and extortion, have been sent to the court.

The actions of the accused are qualified by Part 1 of the Article 255 (creation and management of the criminal organization, participation in the criminal organization and crimes committed by it) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (as amended by Law No. 671-IX of 04.06.2020), Part 2 of the Article 127 (torture), Part 4 of the Article 189 (extortion) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

The sanctions of the Articles provide for imprisonment for up to 12 years.

Procedural guidance is provided by the Office of the Prosecutor General.