27 June 2018, 08:23
Torture Victim Support Day reminds resonant cases in Northern Caucasus
On the United Nations' International Day in support of torture victims, rights defenders predicted an increase in the number of complaints from Northern Caucasus, although residents of the region are reluctant to report such crimes. The exclusions were the cases of law enforcers of the Ingush "E" Centre and employees of the Belorechenskaya and Elista colonies that reached the court.
In Russia, torture cases rarely end with convictions; most often you have to rely on the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), said Ivan Zhiltsov, the press secretary of the Committee against Torture (CAT).
However, the case of violence at the Ingush "E" Centre has become a special matter, said Bulat Mukhamedzhanov, the coordinator of the "Zone of Law".
According to his story, the inefficiency of investigation and the refusal to initiate criminal cases are a common practice in Northern Caucasus.
Albert Kuznetsov, a CAT's lawyer, recalled the case of a resident of Nalchik, Rustam Kuchmenov, who complained of torture by law enforcers after his arrest in 2017. The lawyer believes that the inquiry into the Kuchmenov's case is run with a bias.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on June 26, 2018 at 20:52 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Author: Gor Alexanyan Source: CK correspondent
