Russian retributive system and classification of methods of tortures applied on Chechen prisoners in filtration camps

- by Umar Khanbiyev.

In order to imagine the scale of Russian brutality in Chechnya in a comprehensive and systematic way, one should understand that this is not a result of the actions of some uncontrolled groups, but is a state model, which is being managed, supervised and encouraged by the supreme authorities in Russia. The purpose is obvious - the destruction of Chechen statehood and genocide of the Chechen people. The terminology used by Russian leaders is more circumspect: "The final solution of the Chechen issue."

Concentration camps are one of the components in this punishment system. Russia calls them "filtration points". They were first established on 12 December 1994, in accordance with the Russian Interior Ministry's Instruction No 247, allegedly "to establish the identities and check the involvement of people detained in the fighting zone". Moscow was not even deterred by the fact that this contravened existing Russian legislation. [Passage omitted: criticism of international community for negligence]

The network of concentration camps to repress the Chechens was established on Chechen territory, as well as in some regions of Russia, in conditions of total lawlessness. Besides, special departments for Chechens have been established in the Russian prisons to which illegally arrested Chechen residents are taken. Thus, even in Russian prisons, where the law is never respected, special attention in the form of torture and arbitrary punishment was meted out to Chechens.

"Private" mini-concentration camps exist on the territory of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria in every military unit of the Interior Ministry, the Federal Security Service, the Defence Ministry and the Main Reconnaissance Department [subordinate to the Defence Ministry]. People are being tortured, sold and killed here. Depending on which Russian gang carried out a "clearance operation", hostages are taken to a "private" mini-camp supervised by various punishment groups, which the Russians call a "military unit".

If relatives do not pay a ransom to liberate a hostage within 3-4 days, then the latter, who is tortured and beaten from the moment of capture, could die or completely disappear. If he remains alive, then he is taken to Khankala as a "militant". There, fixed conditions and the proper technical equipment for torture are available.

Obviously, a prisoner stands a far greater chance of completely disappearing here, and surprised villagers "learn" from Russian media outlets that their neighbour or a relative, who has never even held an assault rifle in his hands, is an "authoritative field commander". If a prisoner fails to turn into a "famous field commander" and again remains alive, then he is taken to Chernokozovo.

I should note that my recent observations suggest these stages of taking a prisoner to different concentration camps are not being followed. Now a hostage is directly taken from Khankala to one of the concentration camps on Russian territory. Those who have managed to survive have testified that a prisoner then passes through 15-16 Russian prisons without registration, without being charged or standing trial. After three to six months, the unlucky victim of this system of repression returns to Chernokozovo disabled.

Here, the first cycle of the prisoner's "journey" round Russian prisons and concentration camps ends. But what happens here? Through staff mediators in Chernokozovo, Putin's punishers again offer relatives the chance to ransom prisoner.

Schematically it looks so:

If a prisoner has died as a result of torture at one of the stages of this "journey", then he is registered as "released". But this person completely disappears. The Memorial rights protection organization has registered many facts of this type.

Numerous reports from Russian punishment structures talk about the existence of Putin's secret instruction to punishment bodies "to destroy 80 per cent of prisoners and leave the remainder disabled" so that the population can see what they have to fear. Officers themselves say this.

Recently, confessions of this type were registered during Putin's punishment actions in Sernovodsk and Assinovskaya. Chechen residents believe that, first of all, educated, healthy and handsome people are being killed. A Chechen female villager once told TV: "Only the cross-eyed, one-eyed and morons are not killed." [Passage omitted: other Russian politicians also hate Chechens.]

However, it becomes clear that it is not realistic to conquer the Chechens. Understanding this and the absurdity of his own policy, Putin further increases his anti-Chechen hatred. His mind goes. Look, how Putin's face changes when he speaks about the Chechens. Only psychiatrists could explain this type of hatred. This is a serious illness, which has a tendency to become more acute. Very soon it will be impossible to hide the symptoms of this illness.

Today, the historically blood-thirsty essence of Russia has coincided with the personal pathological hatred of the Russian head against Ichkeria and its people. This is no secret. That is why the execution of Chechens without a trial, "clearance operations" and the network of concentration camps is available. In other words, Putin has established a special punishment system for the genocide of the Chechen people.

Genocide is obvious in all its forms - ethnic, political, religious and economic forms of genocide. Judge for yourself:

1. Mass killings of Chechens using chemical weapons, vacuum and incendiary bombs, killing of people in concentration camps, "clearance operations", pogroms and robbery, execution without trial, torture to put an end to human reproductive functions, persecution over ethnic origin in Russia and abroad.

2. Deliberate destruction of everything connected with statehood, persecution, kidnapping and killing representatives of the authorities of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, persistent refusal to hold any talks.

3. Deliberate destruction of mosques, the persecution and killing of people because of their religion on the pretext of combating "Wahhabis", the killing of religious figures who refused to cooperate with special services in the killing of Chechen.

4. The deliberate destruction of Ichkeria's economic infrastructure, which is irrelevant to the "declared purpose".

Putin's genocide against the Chechen people has a number of characteristics which distinguish it from Hitler's genocide, although the goals are the same:

I. Size:

1. The whole Chechen nation is involved in the genocide process in his state and abroad.
2. People are being morally and physically killed because of their ethnic origin, religious and political affiliations.
3. The nation's economic base is being destroyed.

II. Brutality:

1. The killing of the population using chemical and bacteriological weapons and vacuum and incendiary bombs.
2. Torture and killings in concentration camps.
3. Deliberate torture to end people's reproductive functions.
4. Mass executions and torture without trial.

III. Cynicism:

1. Established state system for selling the corpses of hostages and disabled prisoners of concentration camps to relatives.
2. Kidnapping on a state level.
3. The involvement of worthless Chechens in the genocide in order to hide its real purpose.
4. Propaganda to insult the state's dignity with the aim of creating a negative image of the Chechens so that other peoples will in turn treat them intolerantly.

Putin's innovations in genocide of the Chechen people:

1. The term "anti-terrorist operation" is used to disguise the genocide.
2. A bad person of Chechen origin - a "mullah" and criminal [presumably pro-Moscow Chechen leader Akhmad Kadyrov] - is used as a screen for genocide. Hitler was not so cynical as to appoint Eva Braun or a "rabbi" to head the Jewish nation.
3. Hitler's labour-intensive "production" for processing the hair and skin of unfortunate victims has been rejected in favour of establishing a new type of "production" for selling prisoners' corpses and cripples as a result of torture in concentration camps.
4. Using money from this "production" to pay butchers. This method has been described in one Russian television programme, where the so-called Russian president attempted to drop a clear hint to his extremely stupid generals about how to pay servicemen in Chechnya, i.e. to rob Chechen civilians. [Passage omitted: further comparison of Hitler's and Putin's methods].

Concentration camps

Official information of the government of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria shows that over 40,000 (without taking into account those killed by bombs and in "clearance operations") Chechen civilians have been killed in Russian concentration camps since the beginning of this war. Over 20,000 people have completely disappeared. Nearly the same number of prisoners are being held in concentration camps, where they are subjected to torture and execution without trial.

As a former prisoner of a concentration camp, I myself underwent Russian torture. Additionally, as a doctor, I constantly come across the health problems of former victims of the Russian punishment system. I am convinced that many torture methods have been elaborated in the special laboratories of the Russian special services because these methods are so well-honed and technically perfect. Judging from the fact that a lot of torture is repeated in different concentration camps, there must be a users' guide or instructors sent from Moscow - how to correctly cripple and make prisoners suffer. As a result of my own research and analysis, I have classified as follows a list of the typical methods of torture being used in Russian concentration camps against Chechens.

I. Mental torture
A Individual
B) Mass

II. Physical torture
A) Individual
B) Mass

III. Torture to irrevocably damage human reproductive functions

IV. Torture resulting in death.

Mental torture

The most widely-spread mental torture methods are:

1. Torture "Imaginary execution

Almost every prisoner undergoes this ordeal. I know very well what a man feels when he is subjected to this method of torture. Although, in some cases, depending on a man's mental state, his reaction might be different. As a man who underwent this terrible torture, I was in a state of deep shock. This state cannot be compared with a situation when, for example, a man finds himself being bombed or in a mine field, where the life is also in danger. The tortured man feels himself completely unprotected and permanently scarred. [Passage omitted: more about feelings]

2. Torture "Noise irritants"

One could often hear the heart-rendering cries of torture victims in concentration camps, especially at night time. This depresses other prisoners. Beaten up and tortured people cannot sleep. Although the majority of us were half a pace away from death, everybody reacted sharply to these cries. These noise irritants, without any visual perception of events, mean prisoners imagine various scenes of terrible torture. They have not undergone this torture yet, but it is in store for prisoners. A man fears, suffers and cannot sleep.

3. Torture undermining human dignity

The butchers' actions in all concentration camps are, without exception, aimed primarily at undermining a prisoner's human dignity. A key goal of the Russian butchers in these camps is to kill and torment the human soul, as well as to turn a man into an animal. In Chernokozovo, prisoners are forced to crawl from one corner of a corridor to another so that, in the end, a prisoner can report to a butcher at the end of the corridor that he "has crawled at your orders". Many proud Chechen young men have been killed because they refused to succumb to the butchers' mockery. There are many testimonies about sexual violence against male prisoners. These victims very rarely survive. Victims of mockery of this type often commit suicide, but we should note that this is not typical for the Chechen mentality. Survivors say that thoughts of revenge gave them strength, and their only purpose for the rest of their life is to get revenge against the enemy.

4. Torture "Forced attendance at tortures"

Prisoners of concentration camps are very nervous when they speak about witnessing others being tortured. The reason for this is easy to explain. In February 2000 the Russians took us to Devkar-Evla (Tolstov-Yurt) and began to throw wounded people from buses. A majority of the latter were disabled, people injured on mines who had had arms or legs amputated. There were also people among them on whom we had not managed to perform surgery. The Russian punishers beat the amputated stumps of their arms and legs using boots. [Passage omitted: author expands on his feelings].

5. Verbal torture

Verbal torture in concentration camps has a powerful influence on a person just like other mental torture. Threats to kill, description of the details of torture, as a result of which you have to be killed, words insulting the dignity of the nation as well as of an individual and swear words - all this strongly affects the state of a prisoner's mind. Almost all former prisoners spoke about the low cultural level and moral degradation of the enemy. [Passage omitted: Chechens have not been degraded to this degree].

6. Mass mental torture "clearance operation"

As Yelena Bonner [widow of late Russian dissident Andrey Sakharov] has said - today the whole of Chechnya is a large concentration camp. Every resident of Chechnya, from new-born babies to the elderly, are prisoners of this concentration camp and undergo a mass mental method of torture called "clearance operations". Dozens or even hundreds of people die on a daily basis because of mental shocks which cause heart attacks and cerebral thrombosis. The number of victims grows because of the lack of any medical service. Doctors are unable even to anaesthetize the victims of chaotic bombings and artillery strikes. Psychotropic substances, which are so necessary to people in these conditions and which could protect people from post-traumatic mental derangement, have not been brought to Chechnya in the last two years. All my appeals to the UN, the EU and heads of international humanitarian organizations have failed because of Russia's ban on bringing such substances to Chechnya. The Russian authorities' logic is quite clear - why is medical aid needed, if genocide is under way.

Physical tortures.

I will restrict myself to describing only the most typical methods of torture widely used in all concentration camps.

2. "Swallow" torture

This is one of the most widely-spread methods of torture. Legs and arms are tied together behind a person's back. A prisoner hangs head first and this continues for hours. This causes very strong or unbearable pain in joints. Afterwards, the victim feels pain in his or her joints for a long time, as if this happened yesterday.

3. "Respirator" torture

A prisoner is seated on a chair which is nailed to the floor. Hands and arms are tied under the chair with handcuffs. A respirator is put on his head and the respiratory tube is closed. A prisoner begins to suffocate because of the lack of air. He tries to take off the handcuffs and therefore seriously injures himself. The feeling of pain disappears. The prisoner feels a strong pressure in his head and feels as though his eyes have popped out. Gradually, the voices of the butchers advising you "to take a deep breath", and their laughter seem to move far away from you. You fly into an abyss of darkness. Then you wake up slowly and heavily. Some incoherent sounds become words. And the first thought or question is: "Where have I been hurt and what about my other colleagues?" Gradually, you understand that you have just died, visited the other world, but then again risen from the dead. [Passage omitted: prisoner fears repetition of this torture].

4. "Feeding" torture

Food and water is not given to prisoners for several days. Then victims' tongues are crushed to a bloody pulp using pliers. Victims are beaten with truncheons and forced to eat hot gruel with too much salt and pepper in it. The prisoners eat this food crying because of the terrible pain in their mouths. The sadists watch and enjoy this.

5. "Wolf canines" torture

A prisoner is tied to a chair. A piece of wood in the form of a bridle bit is put into his mouth. They saw the prisoner's teeth and, mock him, saying that they are sawing "wolf canines".

6. "Round table" torture

Prisoners in handcuffs sit face-to-face at a wooden table. The prisoners' tongues are nailed to the edge of the table. All the camp team watches this "show" and calls this torture the "Chechen round table".

Torture to irrevocably damage human reproductive functions.

There are too many testimonies about these tortures, although this topic is very serious for a Chechen because of his mentality. Along with testimonies about selective methods of torture to damage male genitals using electric shocks, we have information about deliberate injuries being inflicted during torture to irrevocably damage a man's reproductive functions.

There are also methods of mass torture of this type. I will give an example from the numerous testimonies which exist. Winter, Chernokozovo. A prison cell with a concrete floor covered with a thick layer of ice. Naked young people are taken to this cell and, beaten with truncheons and forced to sit down on the ice. The torture lasts several hours. The pelvic inflammation caused by this torture and by the lack of subsequent medical treatment, leads to irreversible consequences. These young people are disabled at the very beginning of their lives. There are testimonies bearing witness to the total moral degradation of the invaders, which is expressed in mockery of the civilian population. For example, public rape...[ellipsis as published]. There are too many methods of individual torture used on the prisoners of Putin's concentration camps. I have tried to give some examples of the most frequently-used methods of torture to which prisoners are subjected. At the same time, I believe that these methods of torture are not the fruits of the sick mind of sadistic individuals. Undoubtedly, these methods of torture are worked out in the special laboratories of the Russian special services.

Additionally, we know that prisoners in concentration camps undergo more brutal torture: the traumatic amputation of fingers and other limbs, the putting out of eyes, breaking bones and people's spine, the lancing of stomachs and pulling out of intestines, the cutting out of tongues, ears and genitals, the destruction of livers, spleens and kidneys by striking precise blows...[ellipsis as given].

The most monstrous thing for me, as a doctor, is that Russian military doctors themselves often take part in this torture. There are many testimonies as to how the doctors use various manipulations to torture, maim and kill prisoners. The most brutal torture, during or after which prisoners are killed, the Russian invaders themselves named "killing", i.e. these methods of torture, or executions, are used against those prisoners who, in the sadists' opinion, must not live.

Along with testimonies from prisoners and the public, we have got documentary evidence about corpses with traces of "killing" torture methods, whom brutal punishers have thrown on the outskirts of villages and in mass burials sites. There are also rumours about the removal and sale of prisoners' organs for transplantation. Although, as a surgeon who knows the technology of supplying and carrying out the transplantation process, I can scarcely believe this.

I have no doubts that the current Russian leadership's moral outlook allows it to do such things. But this seems to me impossible because of the technical difficulties, on Chechen territory at least. But who knows? There are too many disgusting crimes being carried out by the invaders in Chechnya.

But we have learnt about cases of new poisons being tested on prisoners. The corpses of these prisoners undergo an autopsy. Their internal organs are taken for laboratory research. There are grounds to claim that laboratories of the Dagestani Medical Institute and the North Ossetian Medical Institute are being used for these purposes in the North Caucasus.* [Passage omitted: a US doctor's comments on the issue, West's attitude to Hitler when he came to power and comparison with Putin].

Doctor Umar Khanbiyev, the health minister of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria.

From Kavkaz-Center (translation by IA «MARSHO»)

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Webauthor's comment: * On this see also here and the photographs of corpses found in mass graves undergone surgery here.