The Russian Defense Ministry's Airborne Forces have denied reports of a severe beating of a conscript at a military base in Russia's West Siberian city of Omsk, the Airborne Forces's spokesman said on Tuesday.
The conscript's mother told RIA Novosti earlier on Tuesday that her son was admitted to hospital after being beaten by senior soldiers. Tatyana Ivanova, who previously demanded military prosecutors investigate the case, said she visited her son in the hospital and saw multiple bruises on his body, which she said the conscript admitted were the result of beating.
"In his report to the military prosecutor's office at the Omsk garrison, Ivan Ivanov said he was unaware of how a bruise appeared on his shoulder," Col. Alexander Cherednik told RIA Novosti.
The conscript said in his report, a copy of which was given to RIA Novosti, that no violence was used against him and refused to lay a claim against anyone.
Ivanova said her son was admitted to an intensive care unit following the alleged beating. Cherednik confirmed that the young man was treated in intensive care, but said the reason was kidney inflammation.
In his report, Ivanov said he believed "the chill" was the reason of his disease.
"I cannot say when exactly I fell ill, but it seems to me that is was several days before I felt bad after going to the banya (sauna)," the report said.
The conscript also mentioned that he was unhappy joining the armed forces and did not want to return to service.
Hazing is common in the Russian Army, which prompts many young men to illegally evade military service.
Hazing became a high-profile issue in the Russian Armed Forces following an incident involving Private Andrei Sychev, who had both legs amputated after being beaten and tortured on New Year's Eve 2005 by fellow soldiers in the south Urals city of Chelyabinsk.
In February 2008, the death of 21-year-old Private Roman Rudakov at a Moscow hospital following a severe beating by his fellow servicemen sparked public outcry in the country.
Hazing, a tradition stretching back to the Soviet era, is just one of the problems faced by the average conscript in the Russian Army. The Russian Soldiers' Mothers Committee has estimated that around 1,000 soldiers die every year as a result of non-combat situations. A significant minority of these are murders and suicides. RIA Novosti
