Back Council of Europe anti-torture Committee visits the Russian Federation

A delegation of the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) carried out a periodic visit to the Russian Federation from 22 September to 6 October 2008. It was the CPT’s fifth periodic visit to this country.

The visit focussed on the City of Moscow, the Republic of Udmurtia and the Regions of Arkhangelsk and Vologda. The CPT’s delegation paid particular attention to the treatment of persons detained by Internal Affairs agencies, including foreign nationals and administrative detainees. It also examined in detail various issues related to prisons, including the regimes applied to remand prisoners, juveniles and life-sentenced prisoners. Further, the delegation visited a psychiatric hospital, where it considered the treatment and legal safeguards applicable to involuntary patients and patients undergoing psychiatric assessment and coercive treatment.

In the course of the visit, the delegation met Alexander SAVENKOV, First Deputy Minister of Justice, Yuri KALININ, Director of the Federal Service for the Execution of Sentences, Mikhail ARTAMOSHKIN, acting Head of the Department of Public Order at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Boris KAZAKOVTSEV, Head of the Department of Development of Medical Aid at the Ministry of Health and Social Development, Sergey KUDENEYEV, Head of the Department of Supervision of Legality of Execution of Punishments at the General Prosecutor’s Office, and Vasili PISKARYEV, Deputy Head of the Investigative Committee at the General Prosecutor’s Office. In addition, the delegation held consultations with other senior officials from the Ministries and Services concerned, both at the federal and the regional level.

The delegation also met Ilya MIKHALCHUK, Governor of Arkhangelsk Region, Aleksander KOBZEV, Principal Federal Inspector in the Office of the Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Urals Federal District, and the Plenipotentiaries for Human Rights in the Republic of Udmurtia and Arkhangelsk Region, respectively Mikhail KOKORIN and Nadezhda AKHRAMENKO.

Further, the delegation met representatives of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and members of non-governmental organisations active in areas of concern to the CPT.

At the end of the visit, the delegation presented its preliminary observations to the Russian authorities.

The visit was carried out by the following members of the CPT:

  • Lətif HÜSEYNOV (Azerbaijani), Head of delegation
  • Tim DALTON (Irish)
  • Marija DEFINIS-GOJANOVIĆ (Croatian)
  • Wolfgang HEINZ (German)
  • Andres LEHTMETS (Estonian).

They were supported by Johan FRIESTEDT and Borys WÒDZ of the CPT's Secretariat, and assisted by two experts: Michael KELLETT, former Detective Chief Inspector in the Lancashire Constabulary (United Kingdom), and James McMANUS, Professor of Criminal Justice at Glasgow Caledonian University (United Kingdom).

The delegation visited the following places of deprivation of liberty:

Establishments under the authority of the Ministry of Internal Affairs

Moscow City

  • Kitay-Gorod Division of Internal Affairs
  • Tverskyi Division of Internal Affairs
  • Yaroslavskyi Division of Internal Affairs
  • Preobrazhenskoye Division of Internal Affairs
  • Sokolniki Division of Internal Affairs
  • Kon’kovo Division of Internal Affairs
  • Temporary Detention Facility (IVS) No. 1 of the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Eastern Administrative District
  • IVS No. 2 of the Main Directorate of Internal Affairs (on the premises of Municipal Clinical Hospital No. 20)
  • - Centre for the Detention of Foreign Nationals No. 1 (“Severnyi”)

Republic of Udmurtia

  • Industrialnyi District Division of Internal Affairs, Izhevsk
  • Pervomayskyi District Division of Internal Affairs, Izhevsk
  • IVS of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Udmurtia, Izhevsk
  • Special Reception Centre for persons under administrative arrest, Izhevsk

Arkhangelsk Region

  • Mayskaya Gorka Militia Division, Arkhangelsk
  • Lomonosovskyi District Division of Internal Affairs, Arkhangelsk
  • Oktyabrskyi District Division of Internal Affairs, Arkhangelsk
  • Varavino-Faktoria District Division of Internal Affairs, Arkhangelsk
  • IVS of Arkhangelsk Internal Affairs Directorate
  • Special Reception Centre for persons under administrative arrest, Arkhangelsk
  • Temporary Detention Centre for Juvenile Offenders, Arkhangelsk (closed for refurbishment)

Vologda Region

  • Militia Division No. 1, Cherepovets
  • Militia Division No. 2, Cherepovets
  • Internal Affairs Division and IVS of Belozersk Municipal District
  • IVS of Cherepovets Directorate of Internal Affairs
  • Special Reception Centre for persons under administrative arrest, Cherepovets

Establishments under the authority of the Ministry of Justice

Moscow City

  • Pre-trial establishment (SIZO) No. 1 (“Matrosskaya Tishina”)
  • Unit for prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment at SIZO No. 2 (“Butyrka”)

Republic of Udmurtia

  • SIZO No. 1, Izhevsk
  • Strict-regime Colony No. 1, Yagul and pre-trial unit (PFRSI No. 3) located on its premises

Arkhangelsk Region

  • Educational Colony for Juveniles, Talagi

Vologda Region

  • SIZO No. 3, Cherepovets
  • Colony No. 5 for prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment, Novoozero

Establishments under the authority of the Ministry of Health and Social Development

  • Regional Psychiatric Hospital (including Regional Centre for Forensic Psychiatry), Talagi, Arkhangelsk Region

In addition, the delegation went to Strict-regime Colony No. 7 in Azino (Republic of Udmurtia) in order to interview some prisoners.

09/10/2008
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