Tatyana Gavrilova from Nizhny Novgorod turned for help to the Committee against Torture. She claims that her 20-year old daughter Olga who is disabled from childhood and suffers from numerous diseases was battered by police officers from Leninsky district police department of Nizhny Novgorod.
According to the Gavrilovs Olga was detained by the police on August 21, 2007. In the morning on August 22, 2007 Tatyana Gavrilova went to the fifth police department of Leninsky district where her daughter was kept. Olga told her mother that she had been beaten by police officers after the detention. The mother saw injuries on the body of her daughter, she had red-brown cicatrices on the back and hips as well as bruises. There were abrasions on both Olga’s elbows. Olga had had no injuries when she went to work the day before, on August 21.
Olga explained that on the 21st of August 2007 she was working in “Assorty” store. At 19:30 two policemen came to the store and detained her. During the detention one police officer applied violence towards her, she was battered on the back. After the detention she was taken to Leninsky DPD. Olga claims that she was tortured with electric shockers, beaten with a club on the back and forced into confessing to a crime.
One of the “Assorty” store workers who was present during Olga Gavrilova’s detention said that one of the policemen had slapped Olga on the cheek and left a red mark on her face.
On August 23, 2007 Olga Gavrilova was examined by a doctor of the emergency service of Leninsky DPD. The emergency service record states that O.A. Gavrilova has a chest contusion.
The Prosecutor’s office performed a check on the torture complaint and several times issued resolutions not to initiate a criminal case. Last time senior investigator of the investigation department of Leninsky district of Nizhny Novgorod of the investigation committee under the RF Prosecutor’s office for Nizhny Novgorod region issued a denial to start a criminal case on October 26.
The analysis of this resolution and materials of the prosecutor’s check gives grounds to suppose that the check was not complete and not all the circumstances of physical injuries occurrence were determined.
The Committee against Torture states that the state’s actions towards Olga Gavrilova constitute a violation of article 3 of the Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“prohibition of torture”).
At present the sick girl is kept in the Nizhny Novgorod detention facility and, according to her relatives’ words, experiences great physical and moral sufferings. As a consequence of tortures and abuse the girl started thinking of suicide.
The Committee against Torture will conduct a thorough investigation and restore Olga Gavrilova’s rights.