FORCED CONVICT LABOR

Created: 3/10/1983

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY DOMESTIC COLLECTION DIVISION

COUNTRY: CONVICT LABOR

F

OURCE i

TEXT: I PTBT ANMECHANCM ENGINEER

MBWB'EMEIGNED TO WORK AT THE TtRNYAUZ

mining cunVUx IN Ihe kagbaroind-balkarskaya assr, saio that forced

CONVICT LABOR IS UTILIZED AT THE SITE. ACCOROING TO THE ENGINEER, THERE AREONVICTED SOVIET FELONS CURRENTLY WORKING AT THE MINES THERE. THE COMPLEX IS LOCATED IN THE NORTHERN CAUCASUS NEAR MT. ELBRUS. ITOUR AUTOMOBILE DR1YE FROM THE NEAREST AIRPORT WHICH IS LOCATED AT MlNF

THE SOVIETS MINE PRIMARILT MOLYBDENUMEITHER BLAEV OR HIS CHIEF- ENGINEER GEORGE (IDANILENKOVI WOULD DISCUSS'MINERALS OTHER THAN MOLYBDENUM MINED AT THE COMPLEX OR DISCLOSE LEVELS OF. PRODUCTION AT TYRNYAUZ. QUESTIONSORK FORCE AT THE COMPLEX. COMMENT: THERE IS STRONG INDICATION THAT URANIUM IS mTREDAT TYRNYAUZ, SPECIFICALLY ON THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE COMPLEX. NO FOREIGN ACCESS WAS PERMITTEO TO THIS AREA. ALSO, ALL FOREIGN VISITORS TO TYRNYAUZ HERE UNDER CONSTANT SURVEILLANCE. FORCEO TO SLEEP UNDER LOCK AND KEY.1

fz:Data.

Ht t HAVE BEEN EXCAVATEDETERS DEEP WITH THE USE Of EXPLOSIVES. ALL MINERAL PROCESSING AND PELLETIZING IS DONE ON SITE. UMBER OF EXCAVATIONS AT THE SITE ARE ACTIVELYAND BL*EV INOICATEO THAT FUNDING ISROBLEM OUE TO THE COMPLEX'S HIGH PRIORITY.

WORKING"AT THE LOCATION. SOVIET CONVICTS ARE ABLE

TO REOUCE THE LENGTH OF THE SENTENCES AS MUCH ASihczh1. THE CONVICTS SPEND THE ENTIRE HORK OAY UNDERGROUND AND ARE TRANSPORTED OUT OF THE MINES BY TRAM CARS EVERY EVENING. WITH LITTLE FANF*IR- fli COMMENT: DURING ONE EVENING THE TRANSPORTATION OF PERSONNTTTfTOM THE MINES HAS OBSERVED BY FOREIGN VISITORS MUCH TO THE CHAGRIN OF THE SOVIET GUARDS CHARGED WITH PREVENTING SUCH OBSERVATIONS.1 ALL OF THE PERSONNEL ARE KEPT UNOER CONSTANTSURVEILLANCE ANO GUARD BY THE SOVIETS. ACCOROING TO THE 1WB^ENGINECR ALL 0F 1ME PERSONNEL ARE CONVICTED SOVIET FELONV ANU THERE ARE PROBABLY NO POLITICAL PRISONERS AT THE LOCATION. OUE TO THE REMOTE LOCATION OF THE COMPLEX, FOOD AND MtDICAL SUPPLIES ARE OFTEN IN SHORT SUPPLY. fJjMBr COMMENT: GIVEN THE HARSH WORKING CONDITIONS AND REGULAR^HORTAGES OF NECESSITIES, THE MORTALITY RATE OF THE FORCED LABOR AT TYRNYAUZ IS PROBABLY VERY HIGH.I

FOOD ANO MEDICAL SUPPLIES MAY BE IN SHORT SUPPLY HEAVY MACHINERY EQUIPMENT IS NOT. IN AODITION. MANUFACTURED RUBBER TIRE LOADER, THETHE SITE SIX KOMATSU MINING TRUCKS EACH0 SOVIET BUILT TRUCKS EACH WITHON CAPACITYOVIET MANUFACTURED MINING SHOVELS EACH WITHOF BETWEEN FOUR AND EIGHT CU8IC METERS.I

Original document.

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