Support The Moscow Times!

Head of Russian Prison Colony Found Hanged in His Office

Azfar Kadirov www.16.fsin.su

The head of a prison colony in the Russian republic of Tatarstan was found hanged in his office, in what investigators said was apparent suicide, the Interfax news agency reported Tuesday.

Police have been looking into the circumstances around the death of Azfar Kadirov, the prison warden in Tatarstan's capital Kazan, a spokeswoman for the regional branch of the federal penitentiary service, or UFSIN, Inga Mazurenko, was quoted as saying. She confirmed the suicide hypothesis, the report said.

An unidentified law-enforcement official in Tatarstan said Kadirov hanged himself in his office, Interfax reported. There was no word of a possible motive.

A deputy chief of the same prison colony, Igor Leonidov, was arrested earlier this month on charges of receiving a large bribe from one of the inmates, in exchange for easing his incarceration regime and pushing for his release on parole, Interfax reported, citing the regional branch of Russia's Investigative Committee.

Leonidov was allegedly acting in collusion with unidentified accomplices, an Investigative Committee spokesperson was quoted as saying, without specifying whether the supposed accomplices were working inside or outside the prison.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more