11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Through end of October 2007, 20 military servicemen were killed in hazing incidents; few of the accused were prosecuted ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 22506]

"Deaths due to hazing in the military continued to be a problem. Through the end of October, 20 military servicemen were killed in hazing incidents, according to the Ministry of Defense. In 2006, 33 servicemen were killed and 6,700 were injured in hazing incidents. Human rights observers noted that few of the accused had been prosecuted and held accountable. One exception was the October 2006 conviction of Captain Vyacheslav Nikiforov, who was sentenced by a military court to 12 years in prison for kicking to death soldier Dmitriy Panteleyev in August 2006. On May 5, a noncommissioned officer reportedly hazed conscript Sergey Zavyalov, who later died of head injuries from the abuse. The Sertolovo Military Garrison Prosecutor's Office charged a sergeant in Zavyalov's garrison with "deliberate infliction of grave physical injuries." The case had not yet gone to trial by year's end. On August 27, conscript Sergey Sinkonen died of severe head injuries after two inebriated officers at the Plesetsk Space Center beat him and put him in a dog cage. The Ministry of Defense investigated the incident and dismissed the base's deputy commander, who was in charge of the center at the time of the incident. In December Warrant Officer Vadim Kalinin and Captain Viktor Bal were convicted and sentenced to 14 and 11 years in prison."

Document(s): Open document

11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Various abuses against military servicemen continued, including but not limited to violent hazing of junior recruits, known as dedovshchina, in armed forces and security services ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 22582]

For further information on cases, please see the report.

"Various abuses against military servicemen continued, including but not limited to the violent hazing of junior recruits (known as "dedovshchina") in the armed forces and security services. Such mistreatment often included beatings or threats of increased hazing to extort money or material goods. Cases were usually investigated only following pressure from family members or the media.

According to the Office of the Military Prosecutor, the number of hazing incidents in the army decreased by about 26 percent during the first three months of the year, compared to the same period in 2006. During the period January-March, 944 servicemen were reportedly victims of hazing (compared to 1,245 servicemen in 2006) and one serviceman died after being beaten. As of June, 8,097 crimes and incidents occurred in the army and six deaths from hazing have been reported. The defense ministry reported 417 noncombat deaths in the armed forces during the year, 208 of which were recorded as suicides. In March 2006 the Council of Europe reported that hazing led to deaths every year among young conscripts. Between 50 and 80 percent of all conscripts and young servicemen were reportedly subjected to physical violence, initiation rites, beatings, rape, or humiliation on the orders of superiors or their peers.

Regional Committees of Soldiers Mothers received a total of 3,500 complaints from 20 regions across the country. The complaints from soldiers and parents mostly related to beatings, but also concerned sexual abuse, torture, and enslavement. Soldiers often did not report hazing to either unit officers or military prosecutors due to fear of reprisals, since in some cases officers allegedly tolerated or even encouraged hazing as a means of controlling their units. Officers reportedly also used beatings to discipline soldiers."

Document(s): Open document

11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Between January and August 2007, approximately 1,700 officers and 2,455 servicemen were convicted of various crimes, most commonly abuse or physical assault, but continued serving in army ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 22583]

For information on conviction cases, please see report.

"There was evidence that the military was attempting to deal with its abuse problems. Between January and August, approximately 1,700 officers and 2,455 servicemen were convicted of various crimes, most commonly abuse or physical assault, but continued serving in the army, according to the Federation Council Committee on Defense and Security. A series of high-profile demotions, firings, and prosecutions were also made in response to a number of hazing incidents in Primorye in 2006."

Document(s): Open document

31.01.2008 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Denial of food and other abuses against conscripts continue in armed forces, with several horrific cases in 2007 ("World Report 2008") [ID 22471]

"Denial of food and other abuses against conscripts continue in the armed forces, with several horrific cases in 2007 underscoring the government’s failure to sufficiently acknowledge or address the problem. After one conscript was severely beaten and not given timely medical care, later requiring multiple transplants, the minister of defense denied that the violence exemplified a broader problem. The rare prosecutions in such cases are not proportional to the scope of violent hazing, which results in the death of dozens of young soldiers every year and serious injuries to thousands more. Many conscripts commit or attempt suicide and thousands defect from their units to escape harm. In October the term of conscription was reduced from two years to 18 months."

Document(s): Open document

25.09.2007 - Source: Freedom House

Union of the Committees of Soldiers’ Mothers estimates that 80 percent of hazing incidents go unreported in Russian military; several cases of soldiers being forced into male prostitution by senior officers surfaced in March 2007 ("Countries at the Crossroads 2007") [ID 21395]

"The Russian military is notorious for hazing recruits and mistreating servicemen. One well-known case took place in December 2005 at the Chelyabinsk Tank Academy, where 19-year-old private Andrei Sychyov and several other conscripts were forced by more senior soldiers to squat for several hours while being brutally beaten. After four days without treatment, Sychyov developed an infection that resulted in the amputation of his legs and genitals. Had military doctors not covertly reported Sychyov’s condition to the civic organization the Union of the Committees of Soldiers’ Mothers, the incident might well have gone unnoticed by senior army officials and the media. The Union of the Committees of Soldiers’ Mothers estimates that 80 percent of hazing incidents go unreported in the Russian military.19 Moreover, several cases of soldiers being forced into male prostitution by senior officers surfaced in March 2007."

Document(s): Open document

20.09.2007 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

According to NGO "Union of Soldiers' Mothers" up to 3,000 Russian soldiers die in noncombat situations every year; deaths are due to beatings, maltreatment, hazing, or suicide ("NGO Says Up To 3,000 Soldiers Die In Noncombat Deaths Every Year") [ID 21130]

Document(s): Open document

27.03.2007 - Source: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights

Brutal hazing (dedovshchina) remained common practice, but most cases went uninvestigated; particularly shocking case in 2006 served to highlight the problem ("Human Rights in the OSCE Region: Europe, Central Asia and North America, Report 2007 (Events of 2006)") [ID 19371]

"While brutal hazing (“dedovshchina”) remained a common practice in the army, most such cases went uninvestigated as victims refrained from reporting their experiences out of fear of repercussions, and military authorities sought to conceal the true events. A particularly shocking case reported at the beginning of 2006 served to highlight the problem: On New Year’s Eve 2005, a soldier in the Chelyabinsk Tank Academy in the Urals was made to crouch for hours and was severely beaten, as a result of which he developed a gangrenous infection. He was, however, only hospitalized on 4 January, when he was already in a critical condition and unable to stand. Both his legs and genitals had to be amputated.7 In a September trial, a sergeant of the Chelyabinsk Tank Academy was convicted to four years in prison for exceeding his authority and using violence. The prosecutor and the family of the victim criticized the sentence as far too lenient and said that they would appeal it. The UN Committee against Torture (CAT) called on the Russian authorities to apply “a zero tolerance approach” to hazing and take immediate measure to prevent and remedy such abuses."

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Growing number of hazing cases and use of physical force by commanders; by the end of 2006 the Moscow Committee of Soldiers' Mothers registered over 1000 complaints from conscripts and parents, mostly related to beatings; servicemen also complained about sexual abuse, torture, and enslavement ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19291]

"Various abuses against military servicemen continued, including but not limited to the violent hazing of junior recruits in the armed services, Ministry of Internal Affairs, and border guards. Press reports cited serving and former armed forces personnel, the main military prosecutor's office, and NGOs monitoring conditions in the armed forces as indicating that such mistreatment often included beatings or threats of increased hazing to extort money or material goods. As of August 31, according to Prosecutor General Yuriy Chayka, hazing incidents led to more than 100 soldiers suffered injuries. The number of hazing cases and use of physical force by commanders grew by 3 percent, and there were more than 3,500 cases of hazing reported. According to the chief military prosecutor, the number of registered crimes and service-related accidents in the Armed Forces decreased by 2 percent from the previous year, to 21,252 cases this year. The number of grave crimes in the armed Forced decreased by 7 percent, while the number of murders dropped by 18.8 percent. There was some variation in reported statistics; other sources reported increases.

According to the Ministry of Defense, there were 1,318 casualties recorded during the year (not including casualties in the Internal Troops, special units, Border Guards, or Emergency Situation Ministry, which are recorded individually. The ministry earlier reported that 554 servicemen died in the Armed Forces during the year. Among those, 210 servicemen committed suicide and 27 died in hazing attacks. The ministry maintained that 43 percent of the suicides were due to personal relationship problems and 23 percent were due to the hardships of military service. Approximately 19 percent of the casualties (250) were killed by other military personnel.

 By year's end, the Moscow Committee of Soldiers' Mothers registered over 1000 complaints from conscripts and parents, mostly related to beatings. Servicemen also complained about sexual abuse, torture, and enslavement. Soldiers often did not report hazing to either unit officers or military prosecutors due to fear of reprisals, since in some cases officers reportedly tolerated or even encouraged such hazing as a means of controlling their units. Officers reportedly also used beatings to discipline soldiers. "

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Hazing particularly serious in units that had previously served in areas of military conflict; case of private Sychov has drawn public attention to the problem of hazing; despite acknowledged seriousness, leadership of Armed Forces made only superficial efforts to combat abuse ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19292]

"Hazing reportedly was a particularly serious problem in units that had previously served in areas of military conflict. One high profile case involved the hazing of private Andrey Sychov, 19, a first year conscript at the Chelyabinsk Armor Academy. In December 2005 servicemen brutally beat and tortured Sychov at the Chelyabinsk Tank Academy, and Sychov had to have his legs and genitals amputated. The Sychov case prompted the State Duma to hold hearings on discipline in the army in February. (…) After a three month trial, a Chelyabinsk military court on September 26 convicted Junior Sergeant Aleksandr Sivyakov, who had consistently maintained his innocence, on five charges in the Sychov case, including "exceeding authority, resulting in grave consequences," and sentenced him to four years, less time already served, in a medium security penal colony. Sivyakov was also stripped of his rank, banned from holding a command position for three years, and ordered to pay $825 (22,000 rubles) to cover the cost of transporting witnesses and experts to the court. The prosecution and defense both intended to appeal the conviction: the prosecution for a stiffer sentence and the defense for a new trial. Two co-defendants in the trial, Private Pavel Kuzmenko and Private Gennadiy Bilimovich, were convicted of hazing a soldier of equal rank and given suspended sentences of 1 1/2 years, followed by a year of probation. Sivyakov could be eligible for parole after two years; since he had served nine months of his sentence, he could be free in 15 months.

In February local media reported that three recruits from Tyumen Oblast serving at Yekaterinburg's military base No. 32 were hospitalized as a result of hazing. (…) Hazing reportedly was also a serious problem in the Russian Pacific Fleet units. (…) Both the Union of Soldiers' Mothers Committee (USMC) and the main military prosecutor's office received numerous reports about "nonstatutory relations," in which officers or sergeants physically assaulted or humiliated their subordinates. Despite the acknowledged seriousness of these problems, the leadership of the Armed Forces made only superficial efforts to implement substantive reforms in training, education, and administration programs within units to combat abuse."

Document(s): Open document

01.2007 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Violent hazing results in death of dozens of young soldiers every year, and serious injuries to thousands more; many conscripts commit or attempt suicide and thousands defect from their units to escape harm ("World Report 2007") [ID 19495]

"A gruesome case of hazing in the army, which resulted in a conscript having to have his legs and genitals amputated, once again pushed violent hazing in Russia’s military into the spotlight. The Ministry of Defense took steps to address this crime, but maintained that violent hazing is not widespread in Russia’s military and blamed television and “the decline of traditional values” for hazing rather than taking responsibility for the problem. Violent hazing results in the death of dozens of young soldiers every year, and serious injuries to thousands more. Many conscripts commit or attempt suicide and thousands defect from their units to escape harm."

Document(s): Open document

26.10.2006 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Dagestani soldiers often on receiving end of systematic violence in Russian army; according to Committee of Soldiers’ Mothers, more than 80 per cent of conscript soldiers from Dagestan have problems during military service ("Dagestani Soldiers: Bully or be Bullied") [ID 17456]

"Last month, a 20-year-old conscript soldier from the southern Russian town of Volgodonsk serving in Dagestan committed suicide after deserting from his unit, after complaining of bullying by his fellow soldiers.That he was a Caucasian like the locals did not help Ruslan Makhiyanov. His parents said their son was attacked by other soldiers from the Caucasus. Dagestani soldiers often find themselves on the receiving end of systematic violence in the Russian army, but they also mete it out themselves. Coming from a culture with a strong pride in its traditions, and suffering racism from other Russian nationals, they inevitably get drawn into fights and bullying.“More than 80 per cent of conscript soldiers called up from Dagestan have problems during their military service,” said Khuri Pirsaidova, head of the Committee of Soldiers’ Mothers of Dagestan. Dagestani soldier Malik Hajibabayev was one of those who suffered this year – and it was his fellow-countrymen who were involved. He wrote his parents a letter begging them to seek a transfer for him from the Russian Far East to another unit. But, despite the intervention of the military prosecutor’s office and an order for his transfer, the young soldier was left where he was."

Document(s): Open document

08.03.2006 - Source: US Department of State

Various abuses against military servicemen, including the practice of violent hazing of new junior recruits, continued ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2005") [#46144],  [ID 11789]

"Various abuses against military servicemen, including but not limited to the practice of dedovshchina (the violent, at times fatal, hazing of new junior recruits in the armed services, MVD, and border guards) continued (see section 1.a.). Press reports cited serving and former armed forces personnel, the Main Military Prosecutor's Office (MMPO), and NGOs monitoring conditions in the armed forces as indicating that such mistreatment often included the use of beatings or threats of increased hazing to extort money or material goods. Government officials announced that approximately 25 percent of the 11,500 crimes committed in the army during 2004 were related to hazing. On May 24 the main military prosecutor stated that in 2004 246 servicemen committed suicide and that many of these deaths were linked to hazing. According to defense ministry figures, there were 218 suicides through October 2005. As of October, the Moscow Committee of Soldiers' Mothers registered 700 complaints from conscripts, mostly related to beatings. Servicemen also complained about sexual abuse, torture, and enslavement. Soldiers often did not report hazing to either unit officers or military prosecutors due to fear of reprisals, since in some cases officers reportedly tolerated or even encouraged such hazing as a means of controlling their units. Officers reportedly also used beatings to discipline soldiers.

Hazing reportedly was a particularly serious problem in units that had previously served in areas of military conflict.

Both the Union of Soldiers' Mothers Committee (USMC) and the MMPO received numerous reports about "nonstatutory relations," in which officers or sergeants physically assaulted or humiliated their subordinates. Despite the acknowledged seriousness of these problems, the leadership of the armed forces made only superficial efforts to implement substantive reforms in training, education, and administration programs within units to combat abuse."

Document(s): Open document

03.02.2006 - Source: Guardian

Concern grows over abuse and beating of conscripts; Commander Vladimir Kontonistov fined and barred from command for 3 years for hiring his troops out to local businessmen and for pocketing their fees ("Russian officer hired out troops for slave labour") [#43391],  [ID 11790]

Document(s): Open document

01.2006 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Ministry of Defense signed a memorandum of understanding with the human rights ombudsman, but violent hazing continued unabated ("World Report 2006") [#42318],  [ID 11791]

"The Ministry of Defense signed a memorandum of understanding with the human rights ombudsman that allows for monitoring of human rights conditions in military bases. It also announced that it would start regularly publishing information on deaths in the armed forces. Despite these positive steps, violent hazing continued unabated, with the defense ministry announcing that thirteen conscripts had died as a result of hazing and two hundred others had committed suicide in the first nine months of 2005."

Document(s): Open document

03.06.2005 - Source: Council of Europe - Parliamentary Assembly

Authorities fail to take the appropriate steps against ill-treatment of young conscripts ("dedovschina") ("Honouring of obligations and commitments by the Russian Federation [Doc. 10568]") [#32710],  [ID 11792]

"296. Ill-treatment of young conscripts (also sometimes referred to as "dedovschina", hazing169) remains a major problem of human rights. In a recent report170 issued in October 2004, Human Rights Watch stated that dozens of conscripts are killed every year as a result of these abuses, and thousands sustain serious – and often permanent – damage to their physical and mental health. Hundreds commit or attempt suicide and thousands desert their units.

297. Although international law requires the Russian authorities to take immediate measures to end these abuses, it has thus far failed to take the appropriate steps. Instead of taking a clear and public stance against the abuses, government officials have largely ignored the issue in their numerous speeches about military reform. The authorities have yet to adopt a clear and comprehensive strategy to deal with the abuses. Instead of vigorously examining the reasons why first-year conscripts flee their units, military officials routinely threaten runaways with prosecution for unauthorised departure from their bases. Military commanders and the military Prokuratura shield perpetrators from justice, rather than investigate reported incidents of abuse. The government's position is all the more puzzling because dedovshchina so clearly undermines the military effectiveness of Russia's army."

Document(s): Open document

03.06.2005 - Source: Council of Europe - Parliamentary Assembly

Second-year conscripts enjoy unlimited power to abuse their juniors ("Dedovshchina") ("Honouring of obligations and commitments by the Russian Federation [Doc. 10568]") [#32710],  [ID 11793]

"298. Dedovshchina exists in military units throughout the Russian Federation. It establishes an informal hierarchy of conscripts, based on the length of their service, and a corresponding set of rights and duties for each group of the hierarchy. Second-year conscripts, called the "dedy" (literally "grandfathers"; its singular is "ded"), have practically unlimited power with respect to their junior colleagues. While dedovshchina may once have served the purpose of initiation, it has in the past twenty years degenerated into a system in which second-year conscripts, once victims of abuse and deprivation themselves, enjoy unlimited power to abuse their juniors without rule, restriction, or fear of punishment. The result is not enhanced esprit de corps but lawlessness and gross abuse of human rights."

Document(s): Open document

03.06.2005 - Source: Council of Europe - Parliamentary Assembly

Armed forces increasingly draw recruits from poor segments of the population; affluent families are able keep their sons out of the armed forces ("Honouring of obligations and commitments by the Russian Federation [Doc. 10568]") [#32710],  [ID 11794]

"299. Horror stories about dedovshchina motivate tens of thousands of Russian parents every year to try to keep their sons out of the armed forces. As the most affluent families do so successfully171, the armed forces increasingly draw recruits from poor segments of the population, and many of the recruits suffer from malnutrition, ill health, alcohol or drug addiction, or other social ills even before they start to serve. Moreover, as mentioned above, thousands of the young men who are drafted each year run away from their units and hundreds commit suicide."

Document(s): Open document

03.06.2005 - Source: Council of Europe - Parliamentary Assembly

Ministry of Defence sees decrease in the number of crimes and accidents in military units ("Honouring of obligations and commitments by the Russian Federation [Doc. 10568]") [#32710],  [ID 11795]

"300. In its response to the HRW report on hazing, the Russian Federation Ministry of Defence noted that the "measures taken in the last few years by the bodies of military command, commanders of all levels, and personnel management officers have consolidated the trend in a steady decrease in the number of crimes and accidents in military units. This also fully applies to the problem of violations of statutory rules of service between servicemen. According to the Ministry's statistics, for a number of years the crime rate in the armed forces has been 2-2.5 times lower than overall national level. During 2002, 2003 and 2004, 90% of units experienced no dedovshchina, and 80% had no violations whatsoever. The fact that "hooliganism" in the barracks does not take place on a massive scale is also proven by the findings of Human Rights Watch's rights-defenders, who found only 100 victims of dedovshchina in the 3 years of research, on whose statements they rely on for their report172"

Document(s): Open document

03.06.2005 - Source: Council of Europe - Parliamentary Assembly

According to Chief Military Prosecutor: 109 servicemen committed suicide during the first half of 2004 ("Honouring of obligations and commitments by the Russian Federation [Doc. 10568]") [#32710],  [ID 11796]

"301. Chief Military Prosecutor Alexander Savenkov has reported that 25 conscripts died as a result of abuses associated with hazing during the first half of 2004. A total of 109 servicemen committed suicide during this period, an increase of 38% compared to the same period last year. Savenkov said that 60 of those conscripts who killed themselves had been "driven to suicide" by hazing. Accordingly, an 85 death toll in the armed forces outside military conflicts was reported as official statistics for the first six months of 2004173. Taking into account that these statistics reflect only those cases brought to the courts, the real scope of the problem is truly alarming. However, in the Ministry of Defence we were told that the Russian rate of suicides on 100,000 of population is much less than in some European countries.

302. The Military Prokuratura that is in charge of dealing with soldiers' complaints and investigating abuses in the armed forces also reported that 3,200 servicemen were convicted of hazing ('non-statutory relations') in the first nine months of 2004, including 400 officers. About 3,000 servicemen suffered from hazing and 31 died over the same period. In 2003 a total of 3,400 servicemen, including 500 officers, were convicted for hazing; 4,500 servicemen were recognised victims of the hazing ('non-statutory relations'), 38 died174.

303. The rise in the number of the reported ill-treatment cases is claimed by the Ministry of Defence and Military Prokuratura to be due to increased transparency in dealing with violations in the army. This resulted, according to the officials, in a significant decrease of the so-called latent crime in the army. In the list of measures for combating ill-treatment in the army Ministry of Defence officials mention gradual transformation into voluntary contract-based recruitment, cutting down of the service term to one year (instead of one and half), additional educational and awareness raising campaigns."

Document(s): Open document

03.06.2005 - Source: Council of Europe - Parliamentary Assembly

According to Soldiers' Mothers Committee the Number of ill-treatment cases is not decreasing, but some progress in co-operation with the office of the military prosecutor ("Honouring of obligations and commitments by the Russian Federation [Doc. 10568]") [#32710],  [ID 11797]

"304. The Soldiers' Mothers Committee in the Sverdlovsk region reported that the number of ill-treatment cases is not decreasing, and that, as a result, desertion is still common. However, better co-operation was established with the office of the military prosecutor and military units' commanders (e.g. special positions of deputy commanders in charge of educational work were introduced to co-operate with non-governmental organisation and deal with ill-treatment cases). Also the Ministry of Defence decided that conscripts who deserted should not return to the same unit from which they have escaped as they can be subject to harassment."

Document(s): Open document

03.06.2005 - Source: Council of Europe - Parliamentary Assembly

Cases of ill-treatment first investigated by the commander of the corresponding military unit who is interested in silencing such facts ("Honouring of obligations and commitments by the Russian Federation [Doc. 10568]") [#32710],  [ID 11798]

"306. One of the reasons of this widespread phenomenon is the way ill-treatment cases are dealt with after the complaint has been lodged. It appears that such a complaint (except for murder cases), whoever it was lodged with, is first investigated by the commander of the corresponding military unit who is interested in silencing such facts. And this obviously has an impact on the number of cases that reach the military prosecutor's attention."

Document(s): Open document

03.06.2005 - Source: Council of Europe - Parliamentary Assembly

Ill-treatment of conscripts starts even from the very moment of their drafting in the so-called conscription centres ("Honouring of obligations and commitments by the Russian Federation [Doc. 10568]") [#32710],  [ID 11799]

"307. Human rights NGOs also report that ill-treatment of conscripts starts even from the very moment of their drafting when the draftees are kept in the so-called conscription centres waiting for their detachment to the military units. Not much attention was paid so far to the bad conditions in these centres, where draftees are kept in poorly heated premises without proper food. The same concerns the conditions during transport of the conscripts to the military units. In December 2003, after transportation of the conscripts to the Far East town of Magadan, nearly 100 fell ill with pneumonia, one conscript froze to death175."

Document(s): Open document

21.04.2005 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

North Ossetia: Poor conditions, low pay and the risk of violent bullying from senior soldiers are turning youngsters away from military service; 3 or 4 young conscripts are injured every day after suffering beatings from older recruits ("Ossetian Youths Dread Army Call-up") [#31520],  [ID 11800]

Document(s): Open document

25.02.2004 - Source: US Department of State

Increase in hazing incidents in 2003 reported ("Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2003") [#19737],  [ID 11801]

"Various abuses against military servicemen, including, but not limited to, the practice of "dedovshchina" (the violent, at times fatal, hazing of new junior recruits for the armed services, MVD, and border guards), continued during the year. Press reports cited serving and former armed forces personnel, the Main Military Procurator's Office (MMPO), and NGOs monitoring conditions in the armed forces, which indicated that this mistreatment often included the use of beatings or threats of increased hazing to extort money or material goods. On September 3, the chief military prosecutor announced that approximately 2,000 hazing incidents had been reported in the military in the first half of the year, an increase of 30 percent from the same period in 2002. According to the chief military prosecutor, over 300 criminal cases were opened regarding hazing incidents in the army during the year. He estimated that 1,200 solders had died in non-combat situations in the first half of the year, of which at least 16 were the result of hazing. At least five other deaths of military personnel have been attributed to cases of assault and battery. Soldiers often did not report hazing to either unit officers or military procurators due to fear of reprisals, since officers in some cases reportedly tolerated or even encouraged such hazing as a means of controlling their units. There also were reports that officers used beatings to discipline soldiers whom they found to be "inattentive to their duties." Hazing reportedly was a serious problem in Chechnya, particularly where contract soldiers and conscripts served together.

Both the Union of Soldiers' Mothers Committee (USMC) and the MMPO received numerous reports about "nonstatutory relations," in which officers or sergeants physically assaulted or humiliated their subordinates. Observers have commonly attributed this tendency to stressful conditions--for example, degrading and substandard living conditions--that persisted throughout the armed forces and to the widespread placement of inexperienced reserve officers, on active duty for 2 years, as leaders of primary troop units.

Despite the acknowledged seriousness of the problem, the leadership of the armed forces made only superficial efforts to implement substantive reforms in training, education, and administration programs within units to combat abuse. The limited scale of their efforts was due at least in part to lack of funding and to the leadership's preoccupation with urgent reorganization problems and the fighting in Chechnya. Although the MMPO continued to cooperate with the USMC to investigate allegations of abuse, the USMC believed that as a result of fear of reprisals, the indifference of commanders, and deliberate efforts to cover up such activity, most hazing incidents and assaults were not reported."

Document(s): Open document

03.09.2003 - Source: Prima News

The number of hazing-related crimes in the Russian army has increased by 30% in the current year while the general crime rate has reduced two times ("Bullying is on the increase in the army") [#15761],  [ID 11802]

Document(s): Open document

24.01.2003 - Source: Amnesty International

Amnesty International: Young recruits in the Russian army face a real risk of being subjected to torture or ill-treatment ("Stellungnahme v. 24.1.2003 an VG Freiburg - A 8 K 10723/02 - (German document, cp. opinion submitted by Auswärtiges Amt, #10948)") [#10931],  [ID 11803]

"In der Russischen Armee gibt es nach wie vor ein hohes Risiko für junge Rekruten, durch ältere Soldaten und Vorgesetzte schikaniert, misshandelt oder gefoltert zu werden. Im Rahmen des als Dedowschtschina bekannten Systems misshandeln ältere Kameraden die jungen Rekruten, um die Disziplin in der Armee aufrecht zu erhalten und die jungen Wehrdienstleistenden “abzu-härten”. Es wurden aber auch von Betroffenenorganisationen, insbesondere den Soldatenmüt-tern, Fälle dokumentiert, in denen älteren Soldaten und Vorgesetzte jüngere erpresst haben. In jüngster Zeit sind wiederholt Todesfälle an die Öffentlichkeit gelangt, die teilweise zur straf-rechtlichen Verfolgung der Vorgesetzten und Kameraden geführt haben.
In zwei Berichten aus dem Jahr 1997 hat amnesty international diese Situation in der russi-schen Armee ausführlich geschildert (vgl. amnesty international, Torture in Russia – this man made hell, ai-Index EUR 46/004/1997 und amnesty international, Torture, ill-treatment and death in the army, ai-Index EUR 46/10/97). Seither hat sich die von Misshandlungen, Schlägen und unmenschlicher und erniedrigender Behandlung geprägte Situation in der Armee nicht grundlegend geändert. Dies zeigen auch verschiedene Presseberichte.
Am 4. Januar 2003 sollen 24 Rekruten von ihrer Einheit in der Nähe von St. Petersburg deser-tiert sein und Zuflucht in einem Büro der Soldatenmütter gesucht haben. Sie sollen fünf Tage zuvor von Offizieren gefoltert, mit Erschießungen bedroht und eingesperrt worden sein. Vier von ihnen sollen daraufhin im Krankenhaus behandelt worden sein. Die Militärstaatsanwalt-schaft soll eine Untersuchung der Vorfälle eingeleitet haben (vgl. Guardian Weekly, January 16-22 2003).
Anderen Berichten zufolge soll es am 8. September 2002 in der Nähe von Wolgograd zu einer Massendesertion von 54 Soldaten aus der 20. motorisierten Infanteriedivision gekommen sein. Die Soldaten sollen vor den schlechten Bedingungen und den Übergriffen durch Kameraden geflohen sein und Zuflucht bei einer Nichtregierungsorganisation in Wolgograd gesucht haben (RFE/RL Newsline, 10.11.2002)
In seinen Schlussfolgerungen und Empfehlungen zum dritten Staatenbericht der Russischen Föderation nach der Antifolterkonvention zeigte sich der UN-Ausschuss gegen Folter ebenfalls besorgt über die noch immer aktuellen Berichte über Misshandlungen und Folter in der Armee (vgl. Schlussfolgerungen des UN-Ausschusses gegen Folter vom 28. Mai 2002, CAT/C/CR/28/4, Punkt 5 b).
Am 23. April 2002 hat auch die Parlamentarische Versammlung des Europarats die Russische Föderation dazu aufgerufen, dringend mit wirksamen Maßnahmen die systematische Miss-handlung von Soldaten und insbesondere von Wehrpflichtigen in der Armee zu beenden."

Document(s): 3153rus.rtf

14.01.2003 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Human Rights Watch: First-year conscripts humiliated, ill-treated, and sometimes tortured by second-year conscripts ("World report 2003") [#10300],  [ID 11804]

"Throughout the armed forces, second-year conscripts humiliated, ill-treated, and sometimes tortured first-year conscripts through violent hazing. Because officers tolerated hazing and other abuses, throughout the year hundreds--if not thousands--of conscripts with nowhere to turn for redress fled their units to escape harm. In a typical case, soldiers at a base near St. Petersburg forced nineteen-year-old Aleksei Dryganov to beg for money and wait on them, and beat him when he refused. Dryganov suffered a head injury when an older soldier hit him with a fire extinguisher. After attempting suicide, he fled the base.

In many units, conscripts were systematically undernourished. Fed mainly on watery cabbage soup and porridge, many conscripts received meat, fresh vegetables, or fruit during their service only if sent by their families. Frequently, conscripts were given too little time to eat and could not finish meals. Few conscripts received adequate medical care in their units. Many had problems gaining access to military doctors, and care was often inadequate and not timely. Numerous conscripts told Human Rights Watch that fellow soldiers threatened them with abuse if they sought medical help. Conscripts being treated in sick bays and military hospitals were not spared from hazing.

As reports of abuses in the armed forces made many young men wary of performing military service, draft boards in Moscow encountered difficulties meeting conscription quotas. As a remedy, throughout the year they detained perceived draft dodgers and forcibly brought them to military recruitment offices. Draft boards sent them on to military units on the day of detention, effectively stripping them of their right to appeal the conscription."

Document(s): Open document

11.09.2002 - Source: Washington Post

Abuses against military servicemen ("Alleging Abuse, Russian Soldiers Leave Post") [#8547],  [ID 11806]

"A group of 54 Russian soldiers escaped from their posts in southern Russia to protest what they said were abuses by their senior officers, an unusual mass walkout revealed by chagrined military officials today when they announced the capture of the young conscripts and an investigation into their alleged mistreatment.

The soldiers were captured early this morning in Volgograd after fleeing from their unit on foot on Sunday, military officials said. Five of the soldiers said they left after being beaten by one of their commanders on Sunday, and their escape was allegedly covered up by another commander. By late today, Gen. Gennady Troshev, head of the North Caucasus military district, announced he had stripped the two officers of their positions and opened a criminal investigation of the incident. [...] The incident began over the weekend, while officials in the 20th Motorized Rifle Division were investigating the theft of a military vehicle. According to military investigators, several sergeants allegedly took one of the unit's combat vehicles and drove it to a nearby village, where they got drunk. In the ensuing investigation, however, the unit's major beat and threatened five privates.

"The soldiers, who did not want to be subjected to more humiliation and beating, decided to leave the testing grounds, together with 49 other servicemen," said Mikhail Yanenko, a spokesman for the military prosecutor.

The soldiers left as a group, apparently intending to return to Volgograd and seek help. Russian television reported that they traveled about 40 miles on foot. Yanenko said prosecutors did not consider the soldiers to have deserted, and other military officials pointed out that they were unarmed and did not try to avoid capture.

At first, the conscripts tried to seek refuge at the local office of the Committee of Soldiers' Mothers, a human rights group, where they left a complaint about being beaten with the handle of a spade. According to military authorities, the soldiers then sought help from the Volgograd garrison military prosecutor. They were taken into custody about 2 a.m. today. At no time did the division commander "take any measure to restore justice," according to Alexander Savenkov, the chief military prosecutor. "He concealed the incident from the military prosecutor's office and his commanders.""

Document(s): Open document