Moscow
Thousands of army conscripts are injured every year in harsh hazing rituals, and dozens die, Human Rights Watch said this week. The Russian military tradition known as the “rule of the grandfathers” subjects first-year soldiers to brutal treatment at the hands of their older peers. The hazing often includes random beatings, starvation, and even gang rape. In the first half of this year alone, 25 Russians were killed by hazing, and 60 of 109 suicides among servicemen were attributed to the practice. The Committee of Soldiers’ Mothers, a Russian advocacy group that has long accused the military of condoning brutal conditions, said the report was a welcome international recognition of soldiers’ suffering.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
England’s ‘dysfunctional’ children’s care systemIn the Spotlight A new report reveals that protection of youngsters in care in England is failing in a profit-chasing sector
-
Cider farms to visit this autumnThe Week Recommends With harvest season fast approaching, spend an afternoon at one of these idyllic orchards
-
Endangered shark meat is being mislabeled and sold in the USUnder the radar It could cause both health and ecological problems
