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Russian Military Conscript Abuse Revisited

A 19-year-old private in the Russian Army was allegedly tied to a chair and beaten on his legs for three hours by drunken superiors this past New Year`s Eve. The conscript was unable to stand after the beating and received no medical attention until January 4. By then, gangrene had set in, and doctors were forced to amputate his legs and sexual organs. Pvt. Andrei Sychyov remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition.

Senior officials in Moscow said they were not made aware of the incident until last week. But human rights groups have for years complained about violent bullying in the Russian army. "The vast majority of army officers either choose to ignore evidence of the abuses or to encourage them," because they see the attacks as "an effective means of maintaining discipline in their ranks," Human Rights Watch said in 2004.

All Russian men between the ages of 18 and 27 are supposed to serve two years in the armed forces, a requirement that will be reduced to one year by 2008. Many Russian parents go to enormous lengths, including bribery, to shield their sons from the draft. Only about 9 percent of eligible men are actually drafted, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.