‘ALL A LIE’

Americans Reveal Brutal Conditions in IK-17 Russian Labor Camp

IK-17 is a likely destination for detained “Wall Street Journal” reporter Evan Gershkovich if he is convicted on charges of espionage.

Russian labor camp IK-17 may be nicknamed a “fashion colony” for its brightly painted exteriors and occasional staged volleyball games to impress visitors from the media. But inmates tell The Wall Street Journal that the façade couldn’t be any further from the camp’s reality. “It’s all a lie,” said American prisoner Jimmy Wilgus. There are no showers in IK-17—a likely destination for detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich if he is convicted on charges of espionage—and inmates can only visit a bathhouse once a week, said a human rights monitor. Prisoners say there are no doctors—only nurses, and the prison doesn’t give medicine to inmates, even if they’ve paid for it. There are apparently no dentists, either. “Any dental problems are solved by extractions only,” said David Whelan, brother to American inmate Paul Whelan. Additionally, prisoners can reportedly be disciplined for a slew of minor offenses, such as failing to address guards, or laying down on their beds during the daytime. Solitary confinement is a regular punishment, prisoners said. Last year, inmates said they were offered a chance to leave if they fought for the Russian military against Ukraine. About 100 men volunteered, some foreigners.