Vladimir Shishkin from Kstovo applied to the Committee against Torture in January 2007. He claimed that on 3 March 2006 he had been battered and tortured by the police in the Kstovo District Directorate of the Interior.  

The Committee conducted a public investigation and collected data supporting Mr. Shishkin’s statements. The Committee staff determined that the state had breached several articles of the European Convention on human rights and fundamental freedoms in respect of Shishkin.

After the battery Mr. Shishkin complained to the Prosecutor’s office. But unfortunately, for 3 years Vladimir has been trying to restore his rights on the national level, but to no effect.

All in all there were more than 10 refusals to instigate criminal proceedings that were later cancelled as unlawful. Moreover, some checks were conducted by officers of the same Directorate of the Interior where Vladimir had been tortured. Basically, no actions were taken at all. It is not surprising that the investigator sent Mr. Shishkin for a forensic medical examination only on 5 June 2007, i.e. a year after tortures.

Desperate to restore his rights on the national level, Vladimir Shishkin resorted to international human rights protection mechanisms.  Now Mr. Shishkin’s case is to be tried in the Strasbourg court.