Two men break out from Tallinn Prison

Photo: Pm

On Saturday night just before 3 am, two inmates escaped from Tallinn Prison: Aleksandr Suhotski and Eduard Mihhailov.

Initial data says the men broke bars from windows and climbed across the fence by stacking up details of scaffolding for repairs thereof, said justice ministry press representative.

Aleksandr Suhotski was under arrest due to suspicion in drug crime. He is 36, strongly built, 180 centimetres tall and with grey eyes. His tattoos are: on outer side of left arm a large shield with fastening belts; calf of right leg features cannabis leaf with face on the inner side.

Eduard Mihhailov was under arrest as suspected in theft. He is 24, thin, 165 cm tall and with brown eyes. Tattoos: right calf features an ornament, left foot hieroglyphs.

At the moment of the escape, both wore dark clothes.

Priit Kama, prisons deputy chancellor at justice ministry, said escapes are a rarity in Estonian prison service and this is rather the problem of the older prisons.

«Here we will definitely have to review our working procedures and also our cooperation procedure with State Real Estate Ltd as administrator of said prison, and its subcontractors. The scaffoldings should not have been usable that way, and we must find out where the error accorded in organisation of the work,» said the vice chancellor.

Asked if third persons might be linked to the escape, Mr Kama said there was currently no reason to claim that, but the criminal procedure underway would definitely look into that seriously.

Mr Kama said the prisoners are not the most dangerous kind. «Even so, should somebody meet them, better let police or prison service know so they can be arrested safely. Don’t try that on your own.»

The vice chancellor went on to say that the last time an escape like this occurred was in 2010 when Murru closed department was still operating, at Rummu. «Likewise, an inmate succeeded in getting out of the window and across the fence. It may be said these are the rare cases in Estonian prison service, but is rather the problem with the old prisons,» said Mr Kama. The new Tallinn Prison building will be completed in several years from now. Mr Kama said that till then they will do to take escapes down to the very minimum.

In 2008, there was a case when a prisoner was being taken to a medical institution and while on the way he managed to escape. «He is still being searched. On other occasions, inmates who have been lost during dispatch somewhere or who have not returned to prison having been allowed out, have been found rather fast,» said Mr Kama.

Whoever knows of the whereabouts of Aleksandr Suhotski and Eduard Mihhailov are asked to immediately inform police by calling 112 or prison service at 5854 3629.