16 January 2008, 11:35
"Memorial" to verify information on tortures in Chechen Colony of Chernokozovo
At this date, the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" has no information about tortures and rough violations of custody regulations in relation of the inmates of Colony No. 2 located in Chernokozovo settlement of Chechnya, but is going to check the information of this sort. These plans were made public by Oleg Orlov, Chairman of the Board of the HRC "Memorial", who spoke yesterday, on January 15, to the press conference held at the Independent Press Centre in Moscow.
According to Mr Orlov, the employees of the "Memorial" representative office in Chechnya are permanently engaged in defence of the rights of convicts and persons on remand, trace the information about their custody conditions, but they have received no complaints from Chernokozovo recently. Moreover, many convicted residents of Chechnya who serve their terms in corrective establishments in the territory of other regions of the Russian Federation are seeking assistance in getting transferred to Chechen colonies.
Yesterday, on January 15, Nurdi Nukhazhiev, Ombudsman for the Chechen Republic, also reported that the data about tortures in Chernokozovo was not confirmed. However, today the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent has informed that the inmates continue complaining of their custody conditions and unlawful pressure exerted on them by the colony administration.
Author: Vyacheslav Feraposhkin, CK correspondent
