A cell. Photo by Yelena Sineok, "Yuga.ru"

27 December 2021, 12:13

Rights defenders treat practice of torturing detainees in Kuban as systemic

The situation with torture of detainees in Kuban (the Krasnodar Territory is named in this way by the name of the main river) stands out among other Russian regions; this practice has become systemic there, human rights defenders have stated in their comments on the pre-mortal statement of Evgeny Ipatov, a Sochi resident, about his torture at a law enforcement structure.

On December 24, the "Novaya Gazeta" newspaper reported that Evgeny Ipatov had been detained in Sochi by law enforcers and then released, but a few days later he was found dead. In the video recorded before his death, Ipatov claimed that he had been tortured; they demanded from him to incriminate himself and confess to stealing money from pensioners. His relatives would not believe the police's version of his suicide.

Svetlana Gannushkina, the chair of the "Civic Assistance" Committee, has refrained from claiming that Ipatov's death had to do with the torture video. However, in the Krasnodar Territory and in Russia as a whole, torture has become a "commonplace phenomenon" among law enforcers, she has stated, treating Kuban as a "preserve of human rights violations."

Igor Kalyapin, the head of the "Committee against Torture" (CaT) also believes that in Russia torture has become "almost a norm" among law enforcers, although "in Northern Caucasus, everything is probably even worse."

The "Caucasian Knot" has repeatedly reported about complaints of Kuban residents about torture in power structures. Thus, in October 2021, the mother of Kavelidze, who died after being detained, claimed that her son had been tortured. Giorgi claimed that he had been beaten up to force him confess to committing a murder, the CaT has reported.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on December 26, 2021 at 03:05 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Author: Nakhim Shelomanov Source: CK correspondent

All news
НАСТОЯЩИЙ МАТЕРИАЛ (ИНФОРМАЦИЯ) ПРОИЗВЕДЕН И РАСПРОСТРАНЕН ИНОСТРАННЫМ АГЕНТОМ ООО “МЕМО”, ЛИБО КАСАЕТСЯ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТИ ИНОСТРАННОГО АГЕНТА ООО “МЕМО”.

September 18, 2024 23:47

  • ECtHR awards compensation to Ingush activist Zarifa Sautieva

    The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) found that the Russian authorities violated the article on the prohibition of torture and inhuman treatment in relation to Ingush activist Zarifa Sautieva. The activist was awarded 1000 euros in compensation, although Russia does not consider itself obligated to comply with the decisions of the European Court.

September 18, 2024 23:23

  • Court dismisses appeal of activist Melikhova against fine for her verse

    A court dismissed all the arguments of the defence and upheld the decision to fine Marina Melikhova, an activist from Kuban, whose verse the law enforcement bodies recognized as discrediting the Russian Armed Forces. Marina Melikhova, who does not have the money to pay the fine, intends to file an appeal against the court’s decision.

September 18, 2024 22:40

  • Two natives of Northern Caucasus injured in shootout near “Wildberries” office in Moscow

    A shootout took place near an office of the “Wildberries” Company in the centre of Moscow. As a result, at least one person has been killed and several others have been wounded, sources report. Among the victims have been Abubakar Mestoev and Umar Chichaev, mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters from Northern Caucasus, reports Shamil Khadulaev, the chair of the Public Oversight Commission (POC) of Dagestan.

September 18, 2024 21:47

  • In Volgograd, court recognizes absence of HIV therapy in prison hospital

    The Central District Court of Volgograd awarded prisoner Ruslan Mitrofan compensation in the amount of 1000 roubles, recognizing that the administration of a prison hospital in Volgograd violated the prisoner’s right to receive medical care by not providing him with an HIV medicine. Meanwhile, Ruslan Mitrofan requested the compensation in the amount of 100,000 roubles.

September 18, 2024 20:29

News archive