Is there a press hut. "Press Khata": how it is used in Russian prisons

Press huts

In the press huts, prisoners are physically affected. Such huts can exist in every pre-trial detention center and ITT. According to some, press huts are a test that not everyone can withstand. But you have to be fair - no one is sent to the press-hut just like that. I happened to see clients who went through this terrible procedure.

- Now it is difficult to say why I was sent to the press-hut. Maybe because I showed up (or rather tried to show) resistance during the arrest and during the search of my apartment. Maybe because of the general negative attitude of operas and sledakov towards me. In any case, when I was brought in for the first interrogation, which was first conducted by the opera, our relationship did not work out right away. They interrogated them without a protocol, and they were interested in where I hid the weapons and where the rest of my people were hiding. But I didn't answer a single question, and it just infuriated them. Then the investigator came, began to take the minutes, but I refused to answer the questions, referring to the fact that I would testify at the trial. The investigator only hissed angrily, they say, they were not so abrupt. Immediately after the end of the interrogations, I was transferred to the IVS and placed in a separate cell. At first I was even glad that I would while away the time alone. But then, when he looked around carefully and noticed that bedding was completely absent in the hut, and there was a rather massive hook on the ceiling, I realized that I had ended up in a press hut, because such hooks are prohibited in ordinary cells. In general, I do not complain about physical strength, I was engaged in wrestling before, but I felt shitty.

In the evening, the door to the cell opened, and several cops entered. Two had rubber truncheons and one was handcuffed. Before I even got up, I received a strong blow to the head, from which I immediately fell. Then the blows rained down one after the other, I only had time to cover my face with my hands, as they beat me simultaneously with two batons. My face was immediately smashed, and blood flowed heavily. Then they stopped hitting me on the head and hung me up on a hook with their hands up. Then they began to beat me on the heels with truncheons. The pain was severe, and I did not have the opportunity to close. This execution lasted twenty to thirty minutes. They lowered me, barely alive, doused me with a bucket of cold water and carried me to another cell. For about three days I came to my senses. And when the investigator appeared, I began to complain to him, even wrote a statement about the fact of my beating. To this he said that other prisoners had beaten me in the cell.

Many inmates, when they found out about the press hut, said that, they say, I was still lucky: sometimes cops practice calling prisoners to different police stations, where they have their own temporary detention facilities, and there they either beat them up or instruct inmates to do it.

As for the official statements about beatings by police officers of detainees or persons under investigation, then, as practice shows, such cases are simply not initiated, with rare exceptions. Maybe now, when the pre-trial detention centers are transferred to the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice, the picture will change. Time will show.

In the meantime, there are more than enough tests for the prisoners. Life in a pre-trial detention center entirely depends on the administration, on the investigator who is in charge of the case. If, say, some kind of influence on a prisoner is needed, then the investigator can send him not only to the press hut, but also to the hut where the "roosters" sit, to the hut where the "blues" are notorious representatives of the criminal world, especially if the person under investigation belongs to the new wave of lads.

In the pre-trial detention center, it is also practiced to change cameras and regimes. As soon as a person begins to more or less get used to the “tenants” of the cell and to strengthen his authority, he is immediately transported to another cell. And there everything starts anew: again tests, grinding, conflicts - and so on ad infinitum.

Sometimes the investigator, in order to “cut off” the person under investigation from his lawyer, transfers him, allegedly, to carry out investigative actions in some temporary detention facility.

When I entered the Moscow City Bar Association, one venerable lawyer perfectly said: "You know, a lawyer is the only person who is able to resist the entire system that is directed against your client." In fact, it is no secret that operatives, police officers, investigators, prison, courts, and subsequently the zone are opposed to the prisoner. And the strength on which he can rely is only a lawyer. But there is only one lawyer, and the whole system is against him.

Often, representatives of law enforcement agencies try to pacify or knock out a confession from a prisoner in all conceivable and inconceivable ways.

One of the most common ways is to place a person in a so-called press-hut. This place frightens not only those convicted for the first time, but also experienced convicts.

So, let's figure out what a press-hut is and how to behave if they decide to send you there.

In short, a press-hut is a prison cell in a pre-trial detention center or IVL, in which terrifying, inhuman conditions are created in order to break a person morally and physically. Physical violence, torture, threats, bullying, humiliation are often used.

The inmates' memories of what they are doing in the press hut are very similar: beatings with truncheons and improvised means, death threats, and sexual violence is often practiced.

Who are the "woolen" ones?

Often, the administration of the prison does not carry out executions of the prisoner directly, but with the help of prisoners close to and under their control.

In ordinary cells, such people do not appear - there they will be brutally punished. Some are punished even after release.

For what you can get into the press-hut

Prevention is the best treatment, and therefore the first step is to figure out how you can avoid getting into the press hut. Usually they press those who refuse to cooperate with the investigation or the prison administration, openly demonstrate their disobedience, and behave provocatively.

Initially, psychological pressure is usually used: the investigator (if we are talking about a pre-trial detention center) colorfully describes to the prisoner the horrors of prison life, what it means to become a prisoner, about the impossibility of leading a normal life after his release.

Often, for a confession, they promise a significant reduction in the term of imprisonment (which, however, does not always turn out to be true). If this does not help, a more weighty argument is used - beating, sleep deprivation.

Unfortunately, it is not always possible to avoid falling under pressure. And in this case you need to know how to behave in a press-hut to get out of there with minimal consequences for yourself.

Of course, there is no one size fits all. But the tips below can help those who want to know how to survive in a press hut:

Unfortunately, many stories about how convicts are broken in press huts remain relevant in 2020.

It would seem that the ideas of humanism and respect for human dignity are being promoted everywhere, but this has little effect on the methods of work of law enforcement agencies.

Therefore, even if your life has developed in such a way that you ended up in a pre-trial detention center or ventilator, you should be prepared for many difficulties and trials, including the most severe ones.

Before answering this question, it should be noted that it is really better to keep frozen murderers, rapists, robbers, gang members in jail until the verdict. Otherwise, it may turn out that there will be no one to judge, they will go on the run and look for them all over Russia, or even the world. But why are the same girls from Pussy Riot, or participants in the “March of Millions”, or defendants in criminal cases related to the expropriation of material evidence kept in prison?

Arguments that they might put pressure on the investigation or go into hiding are laughable. Because if they hide, it’s even better for the investigation, you don’t have to take a steam bath, but suspend the case, put it on the international wanted list and trumpet the whole world that if you fled, then you are guilty. There is no need to talk about pressure on the investigation and the court. Not the kind of contingent to "crush".

It is more convenient for the investigation to keep suspects in jail, because in this case the whole process of the investigation shrinks to moral and psychological pressure on the prisoner. It is easier to break a person, intimidate and force him to write a confession and agree to a "special procedure" for considering a criminal case (without studying the case materials, without examining the evidence).

Despite the fact that the FSIN, in whose department all the pre-trial detention centers are located, was removed from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and transferred to the Ministry of Justice, the staff of the prisons are mentally still the same cops, and cannot get used to the fact that they are already from the Ministry of Justice. And so they continue to work closely with the operatives and investigators of the police and the TFR.

Practically in every pre-trial detention center there are cells in which they "keep a bump" in the sex of prison operas (these are not stooge officers, not at all, these are suspects and defendants who ended up in a pre-trial detention center and whom the prison operatives managed to persuade to cooperate. Drug addicts - for a dose, drunkards - for extract, but someone is even easier - for the opportunity to devour from the belly ...). So, at the request of the police operatives, the prison operatives send intractable suspects to such cells. And almost from the first minutes of stay in the "hut", the treatment of the poor fellow begins. They say that prison is hell, you need to get to the colony faster, because there, in the colony, in comparison with the prison, there is a sanatorium. And in order to get to the colony faster, it is necessary to quickly "skip" the investigation and the court, write a confession, agree to a "special order" ... And in general, if you do not resist, then you can get off with a suspended sentence.

At the same time, there is intimidation that if you push too hard, anger the investigator, you can end up in a punishment cell or, even worse, in a press hut.

And the press-hut is, indeed, beyond. Watch the movie. It is valuable because it contains documentary evidence of both executioners and victims. And there is a video report of the executioners.

If you don't have time to watch the whole film, you can “skip” to 12.30 and listen to how they are being raped in the press-hut. From 21.30 you can listen to the testimonies of the victims. And from 29.30 - the testimony of the "executioner".

From 45.50 to 50.40 - the torture itself. The opera, most likely, gave their sexotes a mobile phone so that the executioners would attach a video proof to the "work report". And the report somehow "leaked".

And the girls from Pussy Riot and the participants of the "March of Millions" in the pre-trial detention center have nothing to do. The only reason they are in jail is an attempt to break them morally. Intimidating, including press khatami. Of course, they will hardly get into the press-hut itself, the public attention to their processes is too great. But the fact that they are frightened by press khatami is a fact that I have no doubt about. When I was in the pre-trial detention center, “kind” cellmates also constantly drove up to me, advised me “not to fumble on the“ cossack ”, to repent, ask for leniency ... As soon as it didn’t come to a massacre.

The worst thing is that neither the girls from Pussy Riot, nor the participants in the "March of Millions", nor "material sources" will ever tell that they are being intimidated. Because this is not done by the investigators or the opera, but, it seems, the same poor fellows, inmates. And complaining about inmates is a mess. Worse - just get into the "offended".

Even citizens who have not been imprisoned know such a term as “pressing”. We are not talking about a production or technological process, but about a direct psychological and physical impact on a person. Prisons are not the most pleasant place to live anyway, but the existence of “press-huts” makes the life of prisoners simply unbearable. This type of influence is not officially supported. There is no mention of him in the documents and instructions, but the "prisoners" are very afraid of him.

Various human rights activists are looking for such places, thoroughly searching isolation wards and pre-trial detention centers. "Press-khata" can break any will and turn a person into a miserable creature. The administration sends people there, like in a meat grinder, to make them obedient. The first mentions of such methods of influence appeared after the Victory in 1945. Then, in closed correctional institutions and zones, real wars took place between various categories of criminals. Those who did not want to actively cooperate with the leadership and law enforcement agencies were placed in the "press huts".

Secret Administration Assistants

To make a person obedient and willing to cooperate, assistants were needed among the criminal elements. There were always such faces. For simple work, they received a number of preferences from the administration and could get a good job. Such specialists were called differently: "woolen", "lohmachi", "bulls". They were distinguished by a strong physique, lack of principles and a desire to live better. After the start of cooperation with the administration, the "wool" could no longer integrate into the usual prison environment. They were stuffed with special offensive tattoos so that others would know about their unrighteous behavior. Some of the criminals used more severe punishments, up to and including murder.

To become a “bull,” a person had to commit a significant offense in the beginning. After breaking the unwritten laws of the zone or prison, he had to agree to work in a "press-hut". The production process has been set on a solid foundation. A foreman stood at the head of such a cell. He himself did not do the "dirty" work, but watched over his subordinates. Labor was rewarded with food, alcohol, drugs, or other benefits.

How to get a ticket to the press-khata?

The administration of a pre-trial detention center or prison sends to such places people who lead an overly defiant and independent way of life. Those who do not want to give the necessary testimony in "high-profile" cases are also sent there. Reeducation work is carried out in a comprehensive manner. For this, all available resources are used: physical and psychological pressure, restrictions, solitary confinement, the use of handcuffs.

How are you today?

As we said above, the use of “press huts” is illegal and therefore difficult to document. Well-known domestic human rights activists are actively fighting them. Unfortunately, this phenomenon still exists, although it has become much less common.