Putin sacks prison chief after abuse scandal

President Vladimir Putin sacked the head of Russia’s prison service yesterday over the torture of inmates. Alexander Kalashnikov, 57, was fired weeks after videoswere leaked of inmates being sodomised and beaten in a prison tuberculosis infirmary. The Kremlin did not give a reason for the dismissal but a source told Interfax that it was connected to the controversy. The videoswere leaked by the whistleblower Sergei Savelyev, 31, whowas convicted on a drugs charge in 2013. Hewas transferred to the facility in the city of Saratov, 725km southeast ofMoscow, and given a job as an administrator.