The guardhouse of the Desna training center does not provide adequate conditions of detention

During the monitoring visit of representatives of the Secretariat of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Commissioner for Human Rights to the 169th Training Center of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (military unit B0946, Desna village, Kozeletsk district, Chernihiv region, 17024), which took place on August 18, 2015, an inspection was carried out of the conditions of detention of convicted, detained and detained servicemen of the guardhouse of the Chernihiv zonal branch of the Northern Territorial Department of the Military Law and Order Service.

Representatives of the Secretariat inspected common and solitary cells, as well as specialized premises and places (rooms for short-term and long-term visits, for medical examinations; household services, a place for physical exercises; walking cells, etc.), during which they found that they did not meet the requirements for guardhouse equipment specified in Section IV of the Instructions on the procedure and conditions of detention of convicted, detained and detained military personnel, approved by order of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine dated September 26, 2013 No. 656.

In particular, it was found that common cells are not equipped with fenced-off bathrooms, there are no washbasins with running hot and cold water, forced mechanical ventilation with the possibility of supplying warm air in the cold season. The conditions of solitary cells are especially unacceptable, where there is no natural lighting and proper ventilation. The Secretariat representatives concluded that these premises can actually be called a “stone bag”.

They also noted that the head of the guardhouse and his subordinates are trying to arrange proper conditions of detention in the institution on their own, which undoubtedly deserves respect, but does not solve the problem before the autumn-winter period. At the same time, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has not provided for expenditures for the overhaul of this guardhouse in 2015.

In this regard, the Commissioner for Human Rights Valeria Lutkovska appealed to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine with a proposal to urgently take measures to arrange proper conditions of detention of convicted, detained and detained servicemen in the guardhouse of the Chernihiv zonal branch of the Northern Territorial Department of the Military Law Enforcement Service.