3 November 2022
Trigger Warning: Text contains descriptions of torture and sexualised violence
Source: Doxa
One of the six men held in custody in connection with the Tyumen Affair, anti-fascist Kirill Brik, has spoken out about torture he suffered at the hands of Russian law enforcement agents. He shared the message through a Telegram group set up for supporters of the six men.
Kirill spoke to his lawyer, Evgeny Girvu, about the torture he underwent before being transported from Remand Centre No., 1 in Tyumen to Remand Centre No. 2 in Zavodoukovskye, located 100 kilometres from the oblast centre.
Kirill states that he was arrested on 30 August on the street alongside one of the other six, Denis Ayidin. The two men were later send to the State Protection Department holding facility on 30 October. The facility is part of the Regional Ministry of Internal Affairs complex in Tyumen and is nicknamed as HQ of the “Tyumen Gestapo”.
It was in the State Protection Department that Kirill was tortured.
Trigger Warning: there follow descriptions of police violence
The security forces taped a piece of paper to Kirill’s face, such that he could no longer see and breath normally. They demanded that Kirill admit to “preparing an explosive device” as well as to “terrorist activities”. “At the same time as asking for these admissions, they pushed me from the stool to the floor, twisted my wrists, and hit me on the head over and over again with the back side of their hands.” – said the anti-fascist.
During the interrogation, Kirill was threatened with sexual assault.
“One of them came up to my face during the interrogation, and demanded I admit that me and Ayduin D.A. devised an explosive device with the intent of bombing railways in Tyumen, and to do the same in Ekaterinburg with one other device. When I began to protest, they said if I didn’t admit to it, they’d use an anal plug on me, or a mop handle. I decided to admit guilt in the face of these threats.” – Kirill recounted.
The full text can be read on the Kirill’s Telegram Channel “Tyumen Affair”.
What is the Tyumen Affair?
In Tyumen, Ekaterinburg, and Surgutye mass arrests targeting anti-fascists and anarchists was carried out in September of this year. Six people were remanded in custody – Roman Paklin, Yurii Nezamov, Nikita Oleinik, Danil Chertikov, Denis Aidyn, and Kirill Brik. They were charged with “organisation of a terrorist cell and involvement in the terrorist cell”. According to the investigators working on the case, Nikita was determined to have “started a terrorist organisation” due to his own “hatred of the current Russian regime”. They are currently threatening Nikita with 20 years in prison for “organisation of a terrorist cell”, while the others are facing 10 years as “co-conspirators”.
Roman Paklin had made an announcement earlier that they had tortured him and threatened sexual violence in order to extract evidence from him. Oleinik also spoke out about torture performed on him, as did two of the other defendants, Denis Aidyn and Danil Chertikov.
At the start of November, Nikita Oleinik, Roman Paklin and Kirill Brik were transferred from Remand Centre No. 1 in Tyumen to Remand Centre No. 2 in Zavodoukovskye. They were transferred for the reason that it would “assist investigations”, but there were fears amongst supporters of the six men the move was being used to pressure the men into staying silent about torture to which they had been subjected.
Members of the group of supporters have asked that letters addressed to Nikita, Roman, and Kirill be sent to the Remand Centre address: “Your letters will show administrative staff at the Remand Centre and investigators that people are watching these men closely. It is possible that these can help prevent torture and other forms of intimidation against them.” The address and names for letters are:
627 100, Тюменская обл., г. Заводоуковск, ул. Братьев Перевозкиных, 29г, СИЗО-2 [Russia, 627100, Tyumen region, Zavodoukovsk, ul. Perevozkin brothers, 29g, Remand Centre No. 2]
Никита Витальевич Олейник 1995 г. р. [Nikita Vitalevich Oleynik born in 1995]
Роман Владимирович Паклин 1997 г. р. [Roman Vladimirovich Paklin born in 1997 ]
Кирилл Алексеевич Брик 1998 г. р. [Kirill Alekseevich Brik, born in 1998]
Updates on the Tyumen Affair can be found in the Telegram Channel group of supporters.
Translated by Fergus Wright
