MOSCOW, November 28 (RAPSI) – Russia’s High Commissioner for Human Rights Tatiana Moskalkova received 160 applications from imprisoned women in 2018, the ombudsman’s press service reports Wednesday.

Complaints mostly concerned custodial conditions, health maintenance, employment assistance, relief from punishment and suspension of sentence, the statement reads.

The number of submitted complaints constitutes nearly 5 % of all applications received by the ombudsman from penitentiary facilities.

According to Moskalkova, in the first half of the year, there were no complaints of failure to deliver appropriate medical aid in the childbirth and postpartum period.

Russian ombudsman believes that this owes to the improvement of prison conditions for pregnant women and mothers with children. Moskalkova has taken part in the development of amendments to the Correctional Code adopted in 2017 permitting placing of children under the age of 3 in infant homes on the territory of penitentiary facilities, including together living with their jailed mothers.