Russia Agrees to Publish the Report of the Council of Europe’s Anti-Torture Committee

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Feb 9, 2013, 3:32:30 AM2/9/13

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Russia Agrees to Publish the Report of the Council of Europe’s Anti-Torture Committee

January 24, 2012 the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CTP) that works within the Council of Europe published for the first time its report on the results of visits to the Northern Caucasus region of the Russian Federation (http://www.cpt.coe.int/documents/rus/2013-01-inf-ENG.pdf). Consequently, the Russian government published its response to the report (http://www.cpt.coe.int/documents/rus/2013-01-inf-ENG.pdf).

According to norms of the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (ECTP) delegations of the CTP are given unhindered access to all sites of involuntary detention when visiting Council of Europe member states. The CTP produces reports on such visits as well as recommendations for the visited member state; however making these materials available to the public is only made possible after permission is granted by the visited state.

Since the time of Russia’s ratification of the ECTP, CTP delegations visited Russia’s Northern Caucasus region eleven times. Reports and recommendations were made, however, in the past ten instances, Russian authorities prohibited making these reports public. As a result, the CTP thrice implemented the extreme measure avowed to it by the Article 10, Part 2 of the ECTP in the form of public statements regarding Russia, last one given in 2007. Over all, since its inception the CTP made six public statements: two on Turkey, one on Greece, and three regarding Russia, all in connection with the situation in the Chechen Republic).

Finally, the Russian government gave its permission to publish the report on the findings of the most recent, eleventh visit, and prepared its own response. This visit took place from April 27 to May 6 2011 and included trips to the facilities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Chechen Republic, Dagestan, and North Ossetia. In the course of its visit the CTP delegates met with government and law enforcement officials in the Northern Caucasus as well as with several Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).

The HRC Memorial encourages the government’s decision to publish the CTP report and considers that it will encourage the fixing of an extremely grave situation with the issue of torture and cruel treatment in the Northern Caucasus.

[1] If the Party fails to co-operate or refuses to improve the situation in the light of the Committee's recommendations, the Committee may decide, after the Party has had an opportunity to make known its views, by a majority of two-thirds of its members to make a public statement on the matter.

Report to the Russian Government on the visit to the North Caucasus region of the Russian Federation carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) from 27 April to 6 May 2011 is available online at: http://www.memo.ru/uploads/files/953.pdf.

Response of the Russian Government to the report of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) on its visit to the North Caucausian region of the Russian Federation from 27 April to 6 May 2011 is available online at: http://www.memo.ru/uploads/files/954.pdf.

Both documents are also available in Russian (see http://www.memo.ru/d/144174.html ).