In the Camps & Prisons, September 1975 (37.5-2)

<<No 37 : 30 September 1975>>

5-1. Mordovia; Perm; Vladimir Prison
5-2. Other camps & prisons; psychiatric hospitals

4. OTHER CAMPS AND PRISONS

Degtyarenko, a resident of the Odessa Region, is serving a term in the camps under Article 187-1 (UkSSR Criminal Code = Article 190-1, RSFSR Code).

In 1970-73 Tovstonyuk, from the village of Cherkany, served a term in Cherkassy Region under Article 187-1 (UkSSR Criminal Code).

In 1972-73 Vasily Belous, from the town of Uman, was serving a term in the same region under the same Article.

Sven Kreek, charged with ‘Anti-Soviet Agitation & Propaganda’, is in a Tallinn prison. He was arrested on 11 January 1975.

[CCE 39.3 reports that Kreek was later ruled not responsible and interned in a Tallinn mental hospital. An Estonian samizdat document dated 21 October 1976, signed ‘Representatives of the Estonian Democrats’ (and addressed to the US Congress, Amnesty International and the UN) reports that Kreek died in a Tallinn prison on 8 August 1975, aged 45: he was a poet and managing director of the Endla theatre in Parnu:

“Having devoted his life to the restoration of democratic ideals, he wrote and distributed several treatises (among them a Socialist Manifesto), in which democratic reforms were proposed . . , His death was officially explained as a suicide by hanging in his cell.

“But serious doubts persist as to the truthfulness of that statement. He was buried secretly and the site of his grave is not known. It may well be that the KGB took an opportunity to do away with this patriot. In any case, Sven Kreek’s premature and tragic death is directly connected with his political credo and activity. It resulted from the violation of bis basic human rights by the Soviet authorities.”

(See Documents from Estonia on the Violation of Human Rights, Estonian Information Centre, Stockholm, 1977).]

In June 1975 Sergei Soldatov was taken back from Moscow to a Tallinn prison. He had been diagnosed as mentally responsible (CCE 36.3).

In August 1975, having completed his sentence, Sergei Pirogov (CCE 32.5) was freed from a labour camp in Arkhangelsk Region.

5. Psychiatric Hospitals

On 15 July 1975 Leonid Plyushch had been in the Dnepropetrovsk Special Psychiatric Hospital (SPH) for exactly two years [¹].

From the beginning of June to 3 September Plyushch was given multiple ‘treatment’: he was given triftazin tablets and insulin injections at the same time. Evidently, however, it was not intended to go as far as inducing an insulin shock: he was not once tied to his bed. Since 3 September the insulin injections have been discontinued. He is given triftazin as before: three tablets, three times a day.

During a visit in September Plyushch looked ill. Perspiring, weak, crushed, feeling pessimistic: “I’ll never get out of here!”

The Leningrad journalist Boris Dmitrievich YEVDOKIMOV (CCE 26.2 [3], CCE 27.6) has been held for three years already in the same Dnepropetrovsk SPH. Yevdokimov was arrested in the summer of 1971.

Yury Belov (CCE 34.9) has again had his period of treatment in the Sychovka SPH prolonged.

Vladimir Titov (CCE 30.9) has been transferred from the Sychovka SPH to Kaluga ordinary psychiatric hospital No. 1. Titov served a 5-year sentence under Article 70 (RSFSR Criminal Code). On completing his term he was tried afresh and sent to Sychovka for compulsory treatment.

In the spring of 1975, a medical commission decided to transfer Gennady Paramonov (CCE 15.4 [1], CCE 33.6), from Chernyakhovsk SPH to an ordinary psychiatric hospital.

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