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Council of Europe Anti-Torture Committee visits the Russian Federation

30.06.2005 - 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 visit to the Russian Federation from 14 to 27 June 2005. It was the Committee's fourth periodic visit to Russia.

The visit focussed on the City and Region of Moscow, the Republic of Mordovia and Rostov Region. In addition to Internal Affairs and penitentiary establishments, places of detention visited included detention facilities run by the Federal Security Service and holding cells in Moscow courts. Further, for the first time in Russia, the CPT examined the treatment of children and adults placed in psycho-neurological homes (“internats”).

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

    -     Andres LEHTMETS, 1st Vice-President of the CPT, Head of Delegation (Estonian)
    -     Zděnek HÁJEK (Czech)
    -     Ann-Marie ORLER (Swedish)
    -     Jean-Pierre RESTELLINI (Swiss)
    -     Erik SVANIDZE (Georgian).

They were supported by Borys WÓDZ and Johan FRIESTEDT of the CPT's Secretariat and assisted by two experts, Peter BAKER, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, East Sussex County Healthcare NHS Trust (United Kingdom) and James McMANUS, Professor of Criminal Justice at Glasgow Caledonian University (United Kingdom).

In the course of the visit, the delegation held meetings with Yuri YALUNIN, Deputy Minister of Justice, Vladimir STARODUBOV, Deputy Minister of Health and Social Development, Yuri KALININ, Director of the Federal Service for the Execution of Sentences, Vladimir KOLESNIKOV, Deputy Prosecutor General, Alexei KUZYURA, Deputy Director of the Federal Security Service, and Valentin MILEKHIN, Deputy Head of the Department of Public Order at the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It also met Vladimir LUKIN, Plenipotentiary for Human Rights of the Russian Federation. In addition, the delegation held consultations with senior officials from the Ministries and Services concerned, both at the federal and the regional level.

The delegation visited the following establishments:

Ministry of Internal Affairs

Moscow City and Region

    -     Arbatskyi Militia Department, Moscow
    -     Krasnoselskyi Militia Department, Moscow
    -     65th Militia Division, Golyanovo district, Moscow
    -     Sokolniki temporary holding facility (IVS) and Division of Internal Affairs, Moscow
    -     Voykovskyi temporary holding facility (IVS) and Division of Internal Affairs, Moscow
    -     Reception and Distribution Centre No. 1 of the Main Directorate of Internal Affairs, Moscow
    -     Reception and Distribution Centre No. 2 of the Main Directorate of Internal Affairs, Moscow
    -     Khimskyi temporary holding facility (IVS) and Division of Internal Affairs, Khimki

Republic of Mordovia

    -     Zubova Polyana temporary holding facility (IVS) and Division of Internal Affairs
    -     Torbeevo temporary holding facility (IVS) and Division of Internal Affairs

Rostov Region

    -     Azov temporary holding facility (IVS) and Division of Internal Affairs
    -     Bataysk temporary holding facility (IVS) and Division of Internal Affairs
    -     Novocherkassk temporary holding facility (IVS) and Division of Internal Affairs
    -     Proletarskyi District Militia Department, Rostov-on-Don
    -     Rostov-on-Don temporary holding facility (IVS) and Division of Internal Affairs
 

Federal Security Service (FSB)

Moscow City

    -     Pre-trial establishment (SIZO) “Lefortovo”, Moscow

Rostov Region

    -     Pre-trial establishment (SIZO), Rostov-on-Don
    -     Regional Directorate of the FSB, Rostov-on-Don

Federal Service for the Execution of Punishments

Moscow City

    -     Unit for prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment at pre-trial establishment (SIZO) No. 2 (“Butyrka”), Moscow

Republic of Mordovia

    -     Colony No. 1 in Sosnovka, Zubovo-Polyanskyi District
    -     Colony No. 13 for women in Partsa, Zubovo-Polyanskyi District
    -     Mother-and-baby unit at Colony No. 2 for women in Yavas, Zubovo-Polyanskyi District

Psychiatric establishments and psycho-neurological homes (“internats”)

Moscow Region

    -     Central Clinical Psychiatric Hospital of Moscow Region

Rostov Region
 
    -     Psycho-neurological home for children, Azov
    -     Psycho-neurological home for adults, Novocherkassk

Other places

    -     Transit zone at Sheremetyevo-2 Airport, Moscow.

The delegation also interviewed several newly arrived remand prisoners at SIZO No. 1 in Rostov-on-Don and paid a brief visit to the Republican Prison Hospital at Barashevo (Republic of Mordovia), in order to discuss issues related to the treatment of HIV positive inmates.