In their statement, Yabloko and Soldiers' Mothers cited reports about the brutal beatings of soldiers at a tank academy in the Ural Mountain city of Chelyabinsk, 1,180 miles east of Moscow. The groups accused military commanders of condoning the rampant cases of hazing and mistreatment in Russia's armed forces.
"The incident at the Chelyabinsk tank academy is yet another proof that the nation lacks one crucial thing - the tradition and policy of protecting human [resources]," the statement read. "It also indicates that, sadly, Russia's main state secret...is [about] the well-being and [personal] security of its caste of bosses."
According to prosecutors, at least eight soldiers were severely injured in an attack by older servicemen during a New Year's bash at the academy. Private Andrei Sychev, 18, had to have both of his legs amputated because of the injuries he sustained during three hours of brutal beating and torture.
Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said in televised remarks Thursday that seven servicemen suspected of involvement in the attack were now in custody and that an official inquiry was underway to establish why the incident had been hushed for nearly a month.
Human Rights Watch and other rights groups have repeatedly said that hazing is one of Russia's biggest human rights problems and urged the Russian authorities to address the issue.
According to official Russian statistics, 16 servicemen died in hazing incidents last year, but experts contend the actual number is much higher, as the official figures do not take into account suicides caused by hazing.
