Located in southwestern Siberia, the Omsk region is one of Russia’s largest cities east of the Ural Mountains and an important hub in the Trans-Siberian Railway. It is also one of the Russian republics with exceptionally high incidence of substance abuse. The ensuing problems derived from increased drug abuse and alcoholism has led to a rise in unorthodox treatment methods across the republic, including a rehabilitation centre that operates like a fight club for addicts.

In a small village on the outskirts of Omsk, where their consumption of absolute alcohol is much higher (125 litres per person per year in Omsk) than the national average, an unauthorized rehabilitation centre was founded in 2017 and flourished within the town. Dozens of former alcoholics and drug addicts signed on after being promised treatment for their addictions. Instead, the patients were kept in a makeshift prison behind a high brick fence and were made to fight each other in arranged bouts inside a ring.

According to an investigative report from Komsomolskaya Pravda, the fights took place whenever the patients were perceived of “wrongdoings.” They fought until one of the patients drew first blood or asked for mercy. Those who refused to fight were reportedly threatened by gas pistols (non-lethal pistols) that resembled real guns.

Those who competed in the ring were not offered any medical assistance following the fights. One man who was forced to fight on five separate occasions revealed that when he broke his nose during one of the bouts, he was not given any medical treatment. Another young man added that he broke his finger and was not allowed to see a doctor to set it back in place.

It is important to note that the rehabilitation centre did not have the necessary license to operate a medical facility. Patients who applied under the impression that they were going to a standard rehab facility were held against their will in isolation and were forced to do the organization’s bidding — an interment camp for addicts. Some were forced to sign documents consenting to their stay at the institution and were not allowed to communicate with the outside world.

The staff at the rehabilitation centre also offered incentives to the patients who behaved accordingly. Good behaviour was rewarded with pharmaceutical pills, according to an official representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, who revealed that a large number of pharmaceuticals and potent medical preparations were found within the facility and were sent for further examination.

While the fight club inspired rehabilitation centre continued to torment its patients, relatives of those trapped inside continued to contribute monthly payments to the centre, likely unaware of the harrowing practices taking place inside.

The Investigative Committee of Russia launched a criminal case under the article “unlawful deprivation of liberty”, which holds a prison sentence up to five years.