SHAKHTINSK, Kazakhstan -- Several people have been sentenced to prison terms of seven to eight years after being convicted of involvement in the torture and death of an inmate in Kazakhstan.
In an August 6 ruling, the Shakhtinsk city court in the central Qaraghandy region found a deputy warden of Corrective Colony AK-159/6, Bauyrbek Shotaev, and an officer of the prison's operative unit, Vitaly Zaretsky, guilty of organizing a crime, premeditated infliction of bodily and psychological harm, and manslaughter.
They were sentenced to seven years in prison each.
The court found six inmates of the prison guilty of beating and torturing fellow inmate Valery Chupin with electric shock at Zaretsky's orders in March 2017. They were sentenced to prison terms between seven and eight years.
The court also ruled that the leadership of the regional police, penitentiary service, and prosecutor's office must be informed about the case in order "to prevent similar crimes and violations of inmates' rights in future."
Prisoners in Kazakhstan have rioted frequently in recent years to protest conditions, often maiming themselves to draw attention to their plight.