Why Beria abolished the “torture” of prisoners in the USSR
After the death of Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, cardinal changes began to take place in the Soviet Union. In addition to the unfolding struggle for power, changes began to take place in the USSR, which were quite difficult to imagine in Stalin’s time. One of these changes was the abolition of the “torture” of prisoners in the USSR, which was canceled by the order of the Minister of Internal Affairs of the USSR Lavrentiy Pavlovich Beria. In this article, we want to talk about why Lavrentiy Pavlovich Beria abolished the “torture” of prisoners in the USSR.
An Order That Changed Literally Everything
For a long time, the Soviet Union had permission to exert physical pressure on prisoners. Many historians point out that the USSR created special conditions for torture, which was sometimes carried out in a particularly sophisticated way. Nevertheless, after the death of Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, the punishments for prisoners were modified, and physical coercion was completely prohibited.
Source: Civil Aviation of the Russian Federation, f. 9401, op.1, d.1299, p.246-247
For Beria, it was important to “whiten” himself
Many researchers believe that in this way Lavrentiy Pavlovich Beria tried to whiten his reputation. It was important for Beria to maintain his high-ranking position in the USSR, but Stalin’s death radically changed his approach to governance. By his order, Beria tried to justify himself and thereby get the opportunity to compete for power. In general, such an order, as researchers note, was prepared a few months before the death of Iosif Vissarionovich, because Beria understood that the political struggle that would unfold after the death of the “leader” could radically affect his further fate.