Kazakh inmates reportedly maim themselves to protest conditions
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 10 June 2014 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Kazakh inmates reportedly maim themselves to protest conditions, 10 June 2014, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/53b282bd1d.html [accessed 28 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
June 10, 2014
By RFE/RL's Kazakh Service
Dozens of people have gathered near a penal colony in the town of Arshaly, near the Kazakh capital, Astana, to demand that they be allowed to see incarcerated relatives who may have maimed themselves.
Officials at the ETs-166/5 penitentiary informed RFE/RL in a written statement on June 10 that two inmates suffered self-inflicted wounds "which are not dangerous" after they were punished for "violating penitentiary regulations."
Meanwhile, the inmates' relatives, who have been standing in front of the penal colony since June 9, told RFE/RL that at least four inmates cut their abdomens open to protest "colony conditions and humiliation by the guards."
Penitentiary officials have so far denied the relatives' requests to meet with inmates, citing a 10-day sanitary quarantine in the colony.
Prisoners in Kazakh penitentiaries have often rioted to protest conditions in the facilities.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
