Investigator Skavarodkin admits that Piatro Kuchura was tortured

Piatro Kuchura, who was tortured in Mahiliou penal colony No. 15, obtained copies of two resolutions on the appointment of a forensic medical examination to establish the consequences of poisoning him with chlorine. The resolutions are dated June 6 and July 25, 2014 and signed by the senior investigator of the Mahiliou interdistrict department of the Investigative Committee P. Skavarodkin. In both of them it is stated that the investigator "established" the fact of chemical impact on the body of the convict.

Here is a quote:

"Senior Investigator of the Mahiliou interdistrict department of the Investigative Committee of Belarus, captain of justice Skavarodkin P.L., having examined the materials of the inspection №572-2 from 05/27/2014,

established that:

19.09.2013 Kuchura P.K. was placed in a punishment cell №9 of PC-15 in Mahiliou for a violation of internal regulations. The rate of content of vapor of chlorine was exceeded there, which resulted in a chemical effect on the lungs of Kuchura P.K. since 9.50 a.m. until 6.30 p.m., resulting in injuries to the lungs of the latter."

However, after establishing this fact, in the both resolutions the investigator ruled to “appoint an further forensic examination in the criminal case”, which surprised Mr. Kuchura, as well as his wife, who filed complaints to the investigation agencies, and the Human Rights Center “Viasna”, who helped her compose these complaints.

The essence of the problem lies precisely in the fact that Liudmila Kuchura has been trying to get a criminal case on the fact of intentional poisoning of her husband with chlorine pairs of bleach in the PC-15 for almost a year already, but the investigator Skavarodking stubbornly refusedto do it. And then he says: “in this criminal case” and he “established” - whereas the investigators are required to appoint a real forensic examination, which could confirm the fact of torture the prisoner.

And now it turns out that the investigator has admitted the fact of torture and then decided to appoint such examination. How can these "conflicting clauses" coexist in Mr. Skavarodkin's mind?

As we have already reported, Mr. Kuchura argues that no additional forensic examination was conducted and he stated it personally to the investigator Skavarodkin, when the latter questioned him in the penal colony. Nevertheless, in the beginning of September he received an answer that he was denied in bringing a criminal case as the forensic examination didn't confirm the poisoning. Due to this fact, Liudmila Kuchura demanded at the Investigation Committee in the Mahiliou region provide a copy of the decision on the appointment of the forensic medical examination. The investigative body answered with a refusal, but sent copies to Piatro Kuchura, who now is kept in prison No. 4 in Mahiliou due to the toughening of the penal regime.