The verdict to the ex-director of the Research Institute of the Federal Penitentiary Service caused a storm of emotions among scientists: “Today is a holiday for us”

The court sentenced the former director of the Research Institute of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia Andrei Bykov to 10 years of imprisonment, finding him guilty of abuse and bribery. The term is enormous, but the institute’s scientists consider it deserved.

How was the director able to intimidate outstanding scientists and build an empire in one particular research institute, where he was the sole ruler? About this in the material of the MK observer.

Our newspaper wrote about General Bykov, who abuses scientists at the research institute, three years ago. Then the author of these lines received an appeal from professors, doctors of science, who assured: Bykov is killing science itself in the prison system, he insults and humiliates people who have devoted their whole lives to it. The professors dismissed by Bykov are still suing, and the 57-year-old leading employee of the research institute, specialist in penitentiary medicine, doctor of medical sciences. Alexey Datii, unable to withstand the litigation, died of a stroke.

It is interesting that the scientists of the research institute considered Bykov unsinkable and until recently they were afraid that he would be acquitted, he would return, taking revenge on them for the testimony given against him. For almost a year since Bykov’s arrest, the administration of the Institute did not remove his portrait, which adorned the gallery of outstanding scientists (“what if he suddenly comes and punishes you?”).

Complaints about the tyranny of the director of the research institute were received by the presidential administration and the Prosecutor General’s Office (there were 25 names on the list of signatories). At some point, simultaneously, several scientists fired by Bykov were suing for their reinstatement. The director himself, when I told about this at a meeting of the Public Council of the Federal Penitentiary Service, explained what was happening simply: they say, I am ridding the research institute of mediocrities and slackers. It is curious that Bykov himself is a former special forces soldier, and for a long time had nothing to do with science.

There were also questions about the moral character of the director of the research institute. According to the stories of one of the employees, he deliberately overloaded her husband with additional evening work (he also works at the institute) in order to give her a ride home, spending time, so to speak, in an informal setting.

“He was like a king and a god,” says leading employee of the Research Institute of the Federal Penitentiary Service Alexander Morozov, who was twice reinstated after illegal dismissal. – Strange things were happening at the Institute. Some employees, according to statistics, wrote 186 scientific papers a year, that is, two days’ work. In this way, the rating was raised and the appearance of successful functioning of the research institute under the leadership of Bykov was created.

At the same time, nothing was particularly known about any grandiose research by the institute on the topic of prisoners during the years of the general’s “reign.” And were there any?

The criminal case against Bykov appeared in the fall of 2021 (a few months before that, he resigned of his own free will). As the investigation reported then, the reason was the statement of Bykov’s deputy, with whom he had a close relationship. A former lover spoke about a system of bribes – scientists paid kickbacks for bonuses. The woman herself assured: they say that for paying her five million rubles, she personally gave him 1.8 million. Bykov called the whole matter revenge on his former lover, and then even stated that it was she who created the criminal scheme and involved him in all the serious things. But in fact, by that time the FSIN general had long been “led” by intelligence officers.

Bykov’s arrest caused shock and joy at the same time among scientists. The trial lasted for almost a year, and never before have there been so many scientists in the status of witnesses in the Themis building. Some of them talked about how Bykov asked for money to receive an academic degree. The same Morozov testified that the general named the amount of 150 thousand for one applicant, but reduced it to 120 thousand after it was explained to him: the scientist’s daughter is seriously ill, every penny counts in the family.

There are several episodes in the case, including the receipt of a bribe on an especially large scale from four leading researchers at the research institute, Boris Shvyrev, Marina Sergeeva, Alexey Fasol and Dmitry Lukashenko. It is interesting that they themselves were released from criminal liability for giving a bribe.

The court sentenced Bykov to 10 years in a maximum security colony and a fine of 5 million rubles. He looked depressed at the sentencing. Bykov did not admit his guilt and will appeal.

“And today we have a holiday at the research institute,” said one of the professors, who wrote many appeals addressed to the president, where he spoke about the lawlessness to the institute. “It’s a pity that not all of Bykov’s victims lived to see him.”