On 25-26 June 2010 the Interregional Committee Against Torture observed the UN International Day in Support of victims of Torture.
On that day the CAT organized various events in all regions where it is present in order to draw the attention of the public and mass media to the problem of torture and cruel treatment by law enforcement agents, to emphasize the need for joint efforts of the society and supervising and investigation authorities (Prosecutor’s Office and Investigation Committee) to fight tortures.
On 25 June the Chechen representation of the CAT conducted a press-conference with the participation of representation head Supyan Baskhanova in the office of Grozny-Inform information agency. Mr. Baskhanov elaborated on the results of the representation’s work, reasons for tortures in the republic and proposed some solutions to the torture problem.
Photo: ICAT press-conference in Grozny
In Ufa on 25 June there was also a press-conference with the participation of Bashkirian representation head Vladislav Sadykov in the editorial office of Komsomolskaya Pravda. It was devoted to the results of public investigations into notorious cases of police abuse in Bashkortostan – murder of school teacher Mukhametzakirov, beat-up of student Aparin in the detoxification centre, etc.
Photo: press-conference of Vladislav Sadykov, head of the Bashkirian representation of the ICAT, in Ufa
In Nizhny Novgorod on June 26 in Teatralnaya Square there was a picket organized by the Committee. Later, in Bolshaya Pokrovskaya Street a group of activists conducted a flash-mob devoted to the problem of torture.
Photo: picket in Nizhny Novgorod
Video of the ICAT picket in Nizhny Novgorod
In Yoshkar-Ola on June 26 human rights defenders from the Mariy El representation of the Committee and Regional NGO “Man and Law” gathered in the city centre, in Chavayna Boulevard to take part in the action called “Together against torture!”.
Photo: human rights defenders’ action in Yoshkar-Ola
There was also a picket in Orenburg where members of the Orenburg office of the CAT and relatives of torture victims met near the Pushkin monument.
Photo: picketinOrenburg
It should be mentioned that each year the events in support of torture victims in different Russian regions raise more and more public interest, the citizens want to terminate the vicious practice of police abuse in Russia just as much as human rights defenders do.