[prisoner-rights] Visit by Council of Europe Anti-Torture Committee to the North Caucasian region of the Russian Federation

Strasbourg, 9 May 2006 – A delegation of the European Committee for the
Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
(CPT) has recently carried out a visit to the North Caucasian region of
the Russian Federation. The visit took place from 25 April to 4 May 2006
and was the eighth organised by the Council of Europe Anti-Torture body to
this part of Russia since the year 2000. The CPT’s delegation examined for
the first time the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty in the
Republic of Dagestan and also returned to the Chechen and Ingush
Republics.

On 1 May 2006, the CPT’s delegation took the exceptional measure of
interrupting the visit, following a denial of access to Tsentoroy
(Khosi-Yurt), a village in the Chechen Republic situated south-east of
Gudermes. However, following assurances received from the President of the
Chechen Republic, the delegation decided to resume the visit and it gained
access to Tsentoroy in the early afternoon of 2 May. The delegation wished
to visit the village as it had grounds for believing that one or more
facilities that could be used as unofficial places of detention were
located there. For similar reasons, the delegation visited the
Headquarters of the Vostok Battalion of the 42nd Division of the Ministry
of Defence, which are situated close to Gudermes.

The delegation also visited the following law enforcement and prison
establishments:

Chechen Republic 

ORB-2 (Operational/Search Bureau of the Main Department of the
Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia responsible for the Southern
Federal Region), Grozny 
IVS (temporary detention facility) of the Temporary Operational task
force of Agencies and Units (VOGOiP) of the Ministry of Internal
Affairs of Russia, Grozny (located on the premises of ORB-2) 
IVS of the Leninskiy District Division of Internal Affairs, Grozny 
IVS of the Gudermes District Division of Internal Affairs 
SIZO (pre-trial establishment) No 1, Grozny 

Republic of Dagestan 

IVS of the Internal Affairs Department of Makhachkala City 
IVS of the Buynaksk City Internal Affairs Division 
IVS of the Kaspiysk City Internal Affairs Division 
Kirovskiy District Police Station, Makhachkala 
Internal Affairs Department for Combating Organised Crime (UBOP),
Makhachkala 
Makhachkala Internal Affairs Division for Transport 
SIZO No 1, Makhachkala 
SIZO No 3, Khasavyurt 

Republic of Ingushetia 

IVS of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ingushetia, Nazran 
Internal Affairs Department for Combating Organised Crime (UBOP),
Nazran 
Further, the delegation visited the Republican Forensic Medical
Bureaux in Grozny and Makhachkala. 

In the Chechen Republic, the CPT’s delegation had discussions with the
President, Alu ALKHANOV, the Prime Minister, Ramzan KADYROV, the
Prosecutor of the Republic, Valery KUZNETSOV, and the Human Rights
Commissioner, Nurdi NUKHAZHIYEV. The delegation also met the Minister of
the Interior of the Republic of Ingushetia, Beslan KHAMKHOYEV, as well as
senior officials of the Republic of Dagestan responsible for law
enforcement and prison establishments.

In addition, the delegation had consultations with representatives of the
NGOs “Memorial” and Moscow Helsinki Group.

On 5 May 2006, during talks in Moscow chaired by the Deputy Minister of
Justice, Yevgeny ZABARCHUK, the CPT’s delegation provided the Russian
authorities with its preliminary observations.

The CPT’s delegation consisted of Mauro PALMA, the Committee’s First
Vice-President and member in respect of Italy (Head of delegation), Andres
LEHTMETS, Second Vice-President of the CPT and member in respect of
Estonia, Derrick POUNDER, a British forensic doctor, and two members of
the CPT’s Secretariat, Trevor STEVENS (Executive Secretary) and Elvin
ALIYEV.