Russian soldier seeks protection from torment of military lifeRuslan Isayev, North Caucasus – A Russian contract soldier, Aleksei Cherepanov, has written to Chechen human rights defenders asking to be protected from the torment of his fellow soldiers until his discharge comes through.
It seems that Cherepanov has had problems with his unit based in the Urus-Martanovsky district from the beginning. He has been severely beaten several times and now feels that if someone does not intervene soon he may not live long enough to get his discharge.
In his letter he detailed what life is like in the unit. Harassment is quite common, drinking is wide-spread, and servicemen are walked all over by spetznaz (special unit) soldiers. He ended his letter with, “My request is small – just please help me become a human being again.” (O/E,T)
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