Russia: Transport of the "Cargo 200" - zinc coffins with corps of dead soldiers. Picture: newsru.com

Frankfurt/M. (22 February 2007) - The 23rd of February is officially celebrated in Russia as the "Day of the Army". Acclaimed are the armed forces of the ministry of defence, the troops of the ministry of the interior, the intelligence service FSB, the army stationed at the borders and the railway troops of the Russian Federation. However, also this year the day will not generate a festive mood in the soldiers and inductees. According to information of the International Society for Human Rights (ISHR) there is barely a troop in Russia, which isn't marked by desertion, slave labour and oppression by fellow soldiers. The "Dedowschtschina", the dominance of the soldiers who served longer over the younger ones, still exists. Also on the "Day of the Army" the so-called "Cargo 200", the zinc coffins with bodies of soldiers having been tortured beyond recognition, will roll through Russia.

Contrary to the other ministries the ministry of defence disclosed in the middle of January 2007, that in the previous year 1200 soldiers have died, that is two times less than in 2005. The committees of the mothers of soldiers in Russia, who have to deal daily with wounded inductees and victims of the cruel caste system "Dedowschtschina", are expressing doubt about this number. According to the mothers of the soldiers, the number would be twice as high if they would take the deaths in the troops and special troops of other authorities in consideration.

The most common cause of death still is the harassment by fellow soldiers, which is tolerated and also often practiced by the Officers themselves. Especially inductees suffer under this harassment, which results in death, suicide or leaves the victims as invalids behind: Like in the case of the inductee Andrej Sytschow, whose both legs had to be amputated after inconceivable torture, or Kirill Grigorjew, who committed suicide by jumping out of the 11th floor of the office of the General Staff of the ministry of defence, because he couldn?t bare the mistreatment and arbitrariness anymore. The inductee Dschabrajl Ibragimow from Dagestan was killed by his Officer on the 28th of December 2006, five days after his enlistment. In the garrison of Wologodsk Officers sold the soldiers like slaves for 300 roubles per person per working day to rich citizens, and in the Unit 3727 of the troops of the ministry of the interior in St. Petersburg soldiers were forced through abuses to serve high Army Officers and members of the intelligence service FSB sexually. The statement of the Military Attorney General Sergej Fridinskij, that there are 2000 previously convicted and relapsed Officers serving in the Army, is both revealing and worrying.

On 15th February 2007 President Putin appointed his minister of defence and former intelligence service collegue, Sergej Iwanow, Vice Prime Minister. His successor in the office of the ministry of defence became Anatolij Serdjukow (45 years), the former chief of the revenue authorities. Whether he will have the will and ability to do something against the inhuman brutality in his troops time will show.