Who was the idiot who was trying to tell us the other day that
Russians don't like brutality?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Russian Army Desperately Needs Reform
Yuri Mamchur
http://www.russiablog.org/2006/07/russian_army_needs_a_reform.php
Another week brings two more horrible stories about senseless
brutality in the Russian army. This time one of the victims is 19-year
old Radik Habirov from Kazan, who was brought in to a local hospital
weighing only 65 pounds and is now in a coma. This is the worst case
of do***ented abuse in the Russian Army since the widely re****ted case
of Pvt. Sychev six months ago. Last week in Moscow more details
emerged from closed hearings about the extent of Pvt. Sychev=92s
mutilation. Even Army doctors accustomed to seeing scars and broken
bones from abuse have been shocked at how severely Pvt. Sychev was
tortured by his comrades.
Army doctors had tried to cover up the crime, blaming the loss of
Sychev=92s legs on a pre-existing medical condition, but a civilian
panel of medical examiners concluded that Sychev was gang raped in the
barracks while taped to his bunk. After being sodomized repeatedly, he
was forced to do squats, then made to hold in the squatting position
for hours, until he lost circulation in his legs. By the time he was
brought to a hospital, doctors could only save Sychev=92s life by
amputating his legs and genitals.
When Radik Habirov was delivered to a Kazan hospital, neither military
physicians nor officers were eager to explain to his father what had
happened in military division # 96504. Marat Habirov, Radik=92s brother
told journalists right away what had happened =96 =93dedov****na=94
(torture
from older soldiers and officers) is the reason his brother is
fighting for his life. Saitgaray Habirov, Radik=92s father, raised both
children on his own. When it was Radik=92s turn to face the army draft,
a military physical found him to be in excellent health.
Radik had played s****ts all his life, and planned to get his education
at the Kazan University of Aviation. Radik=92s older brother had been
conscripted a few years before, and told him that while army life was
very hard, it was better to get your service over with as soon as
possible and get on with your life. Radik listened to this advice and
didn=92t try to pay bribes or dodge the draft.
The last letter Radik=92s family received was mailed at the end of
November 2005. At that time he was moved to another military base,
with the promise that he would soon see some action in Chechnya.
Shortly after the transfer, Radik=92s father was told that his son had
disappeared; local police were checking his father=92s apartment to see
if Radik would show up there. On February 28, Radik was found in a
local hospital, weighing only 65 pounds and in a coma, after he had
attemped suicide by hanging himself from a rope he tied from bed
sheets.
When Radik=92s father sought justice, he went to the local draft board.
Members of the draft commission laughed at the old man and advised him
to go and demand justice at the military base. In response, the base
command issued a short official statement, declaring that =93Private
Habirov had no known psychological problems while in service which
could have led to him committing suicide.=94
Today Radik only reacts to pain and loud claps, and sounds that remind
him of punches. Radik=92s father is desperate, but believes that his
beloved son will wake up soon to tell his story. Pvt. Habirov=92s family
has received no compensation of any kind from the state, so it=92s just
Radik=92s father and babushka caring for the boy at home. Radik=92s Dad
still believes that Defense Minister Ivanov will notice their family
tragedy and finally punish the sadists who maimed his son and so many
other boys.
There is no good reason why a Russian government awash in oil money
cannot stop this brutality, and make the Army an institution the
country can be proud of again, rather than a continuing source of
shame.
Here are some short updates on do***ented cases of army abuse that we
haven=92t previously covered:
June 28, 2006 =96 the body of 18 year-old Dmitry V****vtsev was ****pped
back to his hometown in Sverdlovskaya Oblast. Dmitry served on the
Kuril Islands for six months and then shot himself in the head, after
he could no longer cope with torture from his senior comrades. His
family is trying to find justice but no arrests have been announced
yet.
June 14, 2006 =96 a 19 year old private was beaten and then thrown off a
train by his comrades, leaving him for dead on the railroad tracks.
The senior officer in charge of the re-location of the soldiers didn=92t
notice the private's disappearance and re****ted the unit re-location
as =93successful=94. Railroad workers happened to find the private=92s
broken body before the next train crushed him, and now his mother,
while caring for his multiple injuries and broken bones and demanding
justice.
Our goal here at Russia Blog is to show everyday Russian reality not
only through analysis of today's news, but also through making the
English-speaking world aware of the tragedies ordinary Russians face
in the countryside. You can read our previous articles on this topic
here:
- Genocide or Stupidity?
- Why Does Defense Minister Ivanov Still Have His Job?
- Medieval Russia
- The Nightmare of the Russian Army
- The Truth About the Army Draft
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