NEWSWATCH The Economist: Russia’s prisons. Putin v Punk Pussy. A brave, brassy singer highlights the plight of Russia’s other inmates.
The Economist magazine covers prisoners rights activism by Pussy Riot member Nadia Tolokonnikova.
At the last count there were 657,000 Russians behind bars, one of the world’s highest ratios of prisoners to population. … The frequency of deaths in custody amounts to a ‘Russian Ebola’. Tuberculosis is the commonest killer, she says, followed by HIV-AIDS, which may affect 75,000 prisoners. …
… prisoners routinely had to work for 16 hours a day. Ms Tolokonnikova shared a dormitory and three functioning (and seatless) toilets with 100-150 women. They were each allowed one shower a week. The food was barely edible. Corrupt prison administrators, she says, would steal part of the money allocated for food. ‘You might get a pig’s ear or tail, drowning in cooking oil.’
… Bullying …was routine. …