Complaints about Inhumane and Torturous Conditions

Sergei Magnitsky was kept as a hostage by the Russian Interior Ministry for 12 months in pre-trial detention. He was deliberately subjected to cruel and inhumane treatment and tortured to withdraw his testimony about the corrupt police officers he testified against. Below are several examples of Sergei Magnitsky’s handwritten complaints about the physical and psychological pressure he experienced in pre-trial detention in the hands of his captors.

• Complaint to the Head of Butyrka Prison regarding a nighttime transfer to a dank cell with no windows, from which Magnitsky fell ill (9 September 2009)
• Complaint to the Head of Butyrka Prison on the inundation of cell with raw sewage, endangering the health of him and his fellow inmates and the refusal of prison staff to fix the fault or relocate the inmates for two days (10 September 2009)
• Complaint to the Head of Butyrka Prison about his forced removal to a holding cell for a day, during which time he was deprived of food, water and toilet access, as a result of which he missed his weekly shower and developed acute pain in his abdomen (11 September 2009)
• Complaint filed by Magnitsky’s lawyers matching one sent by Sergei personally to the Russian General Prosecutor Yuri Chaika and the Head of the Interior Ministry’s Investigative Committee Alexei Anichin detailing (i)Magnitsky’s innocence and his unlawful imprisonment; (ii)the deprivation of medical examinations, care and surgery; (iii)the inhumane conditions prevailing in pre-trial detention; and (iv) the exertion of psychological and physical pressure in order to suppress Magnitsky’s will by Interior Ministry and prison officials (11 September 2009)
• Complaint by Sergei Magnitsky (11 September 2009)
• Personal testament prepared by Sergei Magnitsky memorializing (i) how his right to life-saving medical treatment would be denied so long as he refused to recant his testimony and falsely incriminate himself; (ii) the inhumane and torturous conditions and the continued isolation from his family and friends; and (iii) the ongoing denial of any legal remedy or justice in his case, exemplified by his having received no substantive response to the 50 complaints he had filed in the prior 8 weeks spent in Butyrka (20 September 2009)
• Complaint to the Russian General Prosecutor Yuri Chaika filed by Magnitsky’s lawyers regarding the facts established in Sergei’s personal testament of 20 September 2009 (23 September 2009)
• Complaint to the Head of the Medical Unit of Butyrka Prison regarding an ongoing water leakage in his cell that had not been addressed for three days, despite repeated notifications to prison staff (26 October 2009)
• Complaint to the Head of Butyrka Prison regarding a nighttime transfer to another cell and the intentional deprivation of sleep, hot water and food for a period of 24 hours (13 November 2009)

Complaint to the Head of Butyrka (9 September 2009)
Sergei Magnitsky’s complaint to the Head of Butyrka Prison regarding a nighttime transfer to a dank cell without windows, heating and light, from which Magnitsky fell ill.
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Complaint to the Head of Butyrka (10 September 2009)
Sergei Magnitsky’s complaint to the Head of Butyrka Prison stating that his cell is completely flooded with excrement from a malfunctioning sewage system, endangering his health and that of his fellow inmates. The complaint also describes how prison staff have refused to fix the fault or relocate the inmates for two days.
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Sergei Magnitsky’s Complaint to the Head of Butyrka (11 September 2009)
Sergei Magnitsky’s complaint to the Head of Butyrka about his forced removal to a holding cell for a day, during which time he was deprived of food, water and toilet access, as a result of which he missed his weekly shower and developed acute pain in his abdomen.
[Download this document in PDF]

 
Complaint to General Prosecutor and Deputy Minister of Interior (11 September 2009)
Complaint filed by Sergei’s lawyers matching one sent by Sergei personally to the Russian General Prosecutor Yuri Chaika and the Head of the Interior Ministry’s Investigative Committee, Deputy Minister of Interior Alexei Anichin detailed (i) Magnitsky’s innocence and his unlawful imprisonment; (ii) the deprivation of medical examinations, care and surgery; (iii) the inhuman conditions prevailing in pre-trial detention; and (iv) the exertion of psychological and physical pressure in order to suppress Magnitsky’s will by Interior Ministry and prison officials.
[Download this document in PDF]

Complaint by Sergei Magnitsky (11 September 2009)
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Personal Testament (20 September 2009)
Personal testament prepared by Sergei Magnitsky memorializing (i) how his right to life-saving medical treatment would be denied so long as he refused to recant his testimony and falsely incriminate himself; (ii) the inhumane and torturous conditions and the continued isolation from his family and friends; (iii) the ongoing denial of any legal remedy or justice in his case, exemplified by his having receive no substantive response to the 50 complaints he had filed in the prior 8 weeks spent in Butyrka; and (iv) the deliberate creation of restrictions on the right to defend himself by the pretrial detention administration.
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Complaint to General Prosecutor (23 September 2009)
Complaint to the Russian General Prosecutor Yuri Chaika filed by Magnitsky’s lawyers regarding the facts established in Sergei’s personal testament of 20 September 2009.
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 Complaint to the Head of Butyrka’s Medical Unit (26 October 2009)
Complaint to the Head of the Medical Unit of Butyrka Prison regarding an ongoing water leakage in his cell that had not been addressed for three days, despite repeated notifications to prison staff.
[Download this document in PDF]

Complaint to the Head of Butyrka (13 November 2009)
Complaint to the Head of Butyrka Prison regarding a nighttime transfer to another cell and the intentional deprivation of sleep, hot water and food for a period of 24 hours.
[Download this document in PDF]