Russian Federation: Report makes critical assessment of treatment of detained persons in Northern Caucasus

Council of Europe Secretary General welcomes publication of anti-torture Committee report on the Russian Federation

Strasbourg, 24.01.2013 –

“I welcome the decision of the Russian Government to request the publication of this report as a sign of openness which I trust will continue in the future,” 
said Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland.

“ I am confident that this is the beginning of a new policy of the Russian Federation which will increase the impact of the Committee’s work in Russia, to everyone’s benefit,”
added CPT President Lətif Hüseynov.

In a report published today, the Council of Europe’s  
Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT)
expressed serious concerns about the treatment of persons held by law enforcement agencies in the North Caucasian region of the Russian Federation and the effectiveness of the action taken by the investigative authorities concerning possible ill-treatment.

The CPT makes a series of recommendations aimed at combating torture and other forms of ill-treatment.

In particular, it proposes measures to ensure better accountability of law enforcement agencies, reinforce fundamental safeguards against ill-treatment and improve conditions of detention in law enforcement and pre-trial establishments.

In their response, the Russian authorities provide information on steps taken or envisaged to implement the CPT’s recommendations, including as regards investigations into specific cases of possible ill-treatment raised by the Committee and improvements to conditions of detention in the establishments visited.

Until recently, the Russian Federation had represented an exception to the well-established trend towards States lifting the veil of confidentiality and publishing CPT visit reports.

The issue of publication of visit reports and Government responses has been raised on several occasions, including during high-level talks in Moscow and Saint-Petersburg in May and June 2012.

The report covers the most recent visit to the North Caucasian region, in April/May 2011.

The main objective of the visit was to examine the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty by law enforcement agencies in the Chechen Republic, the Republic of Dagestan and the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania.

The report and the response are available on the CPT’s website: www.cpt.coe.int.