Ingush activist demands compensation for torture at ECtHR

Zurab Tsechoev, the former head of the public organization "Mashr", insists on the compensation to be awarded to him for torture in a building of a law enforcement body and the punishment for the guilty persons, reports the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial", which lawyers represent the Zurab Tsechoev's interests in the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in August 2010, Zurab Tsechoev filed a complaint to the ECtHR about a violation of articles of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms on the prohibition of torture, the right to liberty and security of person, and the right to an effective remedy. The former employee of the Ingush public organization "Mashr" claims that in 2008, he was kidnapped and brutally tortured by people whom he considers to be law enforcers, and the guilty persons were never identified.

The ECtHR accepted the Zurab Tsechoev's complaint for consideration in June 2019. Today, the HRC "Memorial" has reported on its website that observations, that is, answers to Court's questions have been sent to Strasbourg.

According to Zurab Tsechoev, on July 25, 2008, he was kidnapped from a house in the village of Troitskaya and brought to a basement in one of the law enforcement bodies. Kidnappers forced Zurab Tsechoev to confess that he had allegedly sent a list of FSB officers to the website "Ingushetia.org". The beatings of the man lasted for five hours, and he was close to loss of consciousness from strangulation. "Zurab Tsechoev was also threatened that they would rape him, film a video, and post the record on the network. The torturers brought a video camera into the room, forced Zurab Tsechoev to undress, and tortured him with a shovel of a spade. Zurab Tsechoev was released on the same day. He went to a doctor and was diagnosed with a closed traumatic brain injury, a broken leg, bruises, and hematomas all over his body," the human rights defenders report in their statement.

The HRC "Memorial" notes that the Russian authorities did not dispute the fact of torture.

The human rights defenders and Zurab Tsechoev demand compensation. The complainant also asked the European Court to note in its ruling that the respondent government should identify the guilty persons and bring them to criminal liability.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on March 16, 2020 at 03:10 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.