MOSCOW, August 23 (Itar-Tass) — Thirty-four adolescents cut their arms in protest against regulations and administration reshuffle at the Atlyanskaya penal colony, the press service of the regional department of the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) told Itar-Tass on Tuesday.
The incident occurred on August 18, but the mass media only learnt about it on Tuesday. “Thirty-four underage convicts, in a demonstrative and blackmailing form, used disposable razor blades to inflict minor cuts of on their forearms at the mess hall,” the press service said.
“Medical assistance was provided to all the inmates. No surgery was required. The regional FSIN leadership went to the scene. The administration has not used force, anti-riot gear or illegal psychological measures on the inmates since the beginning of their imprisonment,” the FSIN assured.
The adolescents resented the penitentiary’s regulations, which required moving on the premises in a file, developing the territory, and submitting to checks and inspections ahead of mass events. The instigators were the inmates who had come of age and were preparing for transfer to a general regime penitentiary.
The authorities additionally explained the provisions of enforcement legislation to the inmates, concerning their rights and duties during serving their sentences, a FSIN official said.