SIZO-2

Taganrog SIZO-2 (Russian: СИЗО-2, Russian pronunciation: [sʲɪˈzo dva]; lit. 'pre-trial detention centre #2') is a detention facility in Taganrog, Russia. Built in the 19th century as a juvenile detention centre, in 2022 it was converted into a torture prison holding mainly Ukrainian inmates, both civilians and prisoners of war. According to journalistic investigations, SIZO-2 is one of the most violent Russian prisons, with daily torture and starvation. The cells of the facility are overcrowded and heavily surveiled. SIZO-2 has dedicated torture chambers where detainees are interrogated and forced to sign false confessions. Prisoners have no contact with the outside world and the vast majority have no legal representation because their lawyers cannot enter the facility. Several prisoners have died in SIZO-2, including Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchyna.