Today the Orenburg Regional Prosecutor’s Office has officially notified the NN Committee Against Torture saying that on receiving a complaint from the Committee’s Regional Coordinator Vyacheslav Dyundin against prosecution officials it responded to it and investigated into the matter. The investigation has found breaches of the law in considering the complaint of Ms. Framtseva, whose advocate is Vyacheslav Dyundin. The Prosecutor of Orenburg Region by his order imposed disciplinary penalties on A.V.Erastov, deputy prosecutor of Oktyabrsky District of Orsk City, and V.S.Chubenko, investigator of the same Prosecutor’s Office.

     The Committee Against Torture has always claimed that problems, connected with coercion by law-enforcement bodies in respect of citizens, are mainly caused by breaches of the law, made by prosecution officials. It seems evident that it is impossible to effectively combat torture provided that there are common infringements of legal norms by those, whose duty is to supervise of the observance of the law.

     Until the situation in the prosecution system alongside Russia, including Orenburg Region, is changed for the better, we cannot speak about observance of international legal norms and the Constitution in Russia.

     In this regard NN CAT welcomes the decision of the Orenburg Regional Prosecutor’s Office to punish its remiss officials. We hope, it will teach other prosecution officials, who misconduct, act in contravention of law and discredit the Prosecution of the Russian Federation, a lesson.