A journalist from Tomsk, convicted in the “What-To-Do!” Telegram channel case, has been sent to a punishment isolation cell (PKT).

Tomsk journalist Igor Kuznetsov, who was sentenced to six years in prison, has been placed in a PKT (punishment isolation cell) at Penal Colony No. 3 in Tomsk. This was reported by lawyer Alexey Pryanishnikov.

The journalist was disciplined for addressing others using the informal “ty” form (“you”).

Before this, Kuznetsov was sent to a punishment cell (SHIZO) for being late to dinner—he was not called by the brigade leader and continued working. He was also disciplined for not removing his hat in the presence of an officer and for resting at an unauthorised time while a prison staff member was present.

As Pryanishnikov writes, Kuznetsov does not intend to contest the violations, since, in his words: “all these things really happened.”

Kuznetsov has been at Penal Colony No. 3 since late June, although his transfer process began back in March. During the transfer, his whereabouts were unknown—nobody knew where he was until the journalist was found in Tomsk remand prison SIZO-1 in mid-June.

In April 2024, Moscow’s Basmanny District Court sentenced Igor Kuznetsov and ten other defendants in the What-To-Do! Telegram channel case to actual prison terms. All were found guilty under articles on incitement to mass disorder (Article 212, part 1.1 of the Criminal Code) and inciting hatred as an organised group (Article 282, part 2, item “v” of the Criminal Code).

According to investigators, the defendants “formed a group of no fewer than 11 people from seven Russian regions,” who “created a network of Telegram channels aimed at organising mass disorder across the Russian Federation on the unified voting days, 17–19 September 2021.”

In March 2024, Moscow’s Meshchansky District Court announced a verdict in another criminal case against journalist Igor Kuznetsov—for participation in an extremist community (Article 282.1, part 2 of the Criminal Code). He was accused of involvement with the “Left Resistance” group. The case against its founder Darya Polyudova and her associates was opened in early December 2021. Kuznetsov was given a three-year suspended sentence with a three-year probation period.

According to the investigation, Kuznetsov together with Polyudova “developed a plan to organise a public event” on behalf of the movement to “promote its ideology, discredit the authorities, and provoke clashes with the police in Tomsk.” Law enforcement officials believe he was responsible for notifying Tomsk’s administration about these events.

14 August, in a letter, Igor Kuznetsov described violations of his rights and constant radio noise in the PKT at the prison. Excerpts from Kuznetsov’s letter to human rights defender Alexey Manannikov were published by RusNews.

For example, the squad commander at Penal Colony No. 3 in Tomsk refused to give Kuznetsov his glasses, although previously they had said it was allowed. In addition, since the end of last week, he has stopped receiving his medication, and access to a blood pressure monitor and glucometer has also been restricted. He has filed several complaints over this.

Kuznetsov also mentioned loud radio, which plays in the PKT from early in the morning until the evening. “To protect my mental health, I tell myself the radio noise is like industrial noise in a factory: two shifts a day (8 hours x 2 shifts = 16 hours from 5 am to 9 pm). Tomorrow, Wednesday, I hope there will only be two weeks left until 27 August (the end of PKT). If it wasn’t for the radio noise, I’d feel like I was at a holiday sanatorium,” RusNews quoted Kuznetsov as saying.

16 August Kuznetsov’s family appealed to the Tomsk Region Federal Penitentiary Service, lodging a torture complaint regarding the noise inflicted on him. This was reported by “Govorít NeMoskva” citing the journalist’s acquaintances.

Kuznetsov’s family considers the actions of the penal colony staff to be torture. The journalist himself also called the radio noise “torture” and noted that the administration of Tomsk Penal Colony No. 3 does not respond to either oral or written requests to turn off the receiver.

“I’m barely holding on. In Moscow, in SIZOs 4 and 5, I was tortured by round-the-clock TV, but at least there were earplugs. Here, there are none. In SIZO-5 there was a time: cold, toothache, and I was on the edge of suicide. NOW I’M SLOWLY HEADING FOR THAT AGAIN: here, no one cares about me!!!” the journalist wrote to acquaintances (original spelling preserved).

Due to diagnosed hypertension and diabetes, the journalist is struggling with the noise and lack of sleep. He asked his family for more frequent visits “for support and advice on the case,” according to “NeMoskva.”