Yesterday in the Independent Press Center in Moscow chairman of the NN Committee Against Torture Igor Kalyapin and professor of the Institute of Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences Yakov Gilinskiy summarized the results of the sociological research concerning the use of torture in Russia. The results of the three years’ research project were comprised in a special scientific edition entitled “Sociology of Violence. Abuses in Law Enforcement Agencies Through the Eyes of People” which excited a keen interest among journalists and experts who were present at the conference.
Mrs. Kalyapin and Gilinskiy expanded on the reasons for the research – human rights defenders were looking for the true scale of torture and cruel treatment practices in Russia. Now, when the research is over, there are exact figures which testify that the situation in the field is tremendous. The area of torture practices by law enforcement officers has greatly spread out lately. Opinion surveys show that every fifth citizen of Russia at least once in his or her life has been subjected to torture, unlawful violence and cruel treatment on the part of policemen, prosecution officials and other representatives of the government.
The NN Committee Against Torture hopefully believes that the issued results of the research will excite interest among citizens and high officials of Russian law enforcement system and will help make combating torture practices in Russia more effective.
The NN Committee Against torture owes a debt of gratitude to the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, without whose sponsorship the project could not have been implemented.
If you want to have you personal copy of the book “Sociology of Violence. Abuses in Law Enforcement Agencies Through the Eyes of People”, please contact:
In Nizhny Novgorod – the NN committee Against Torture, office 303, 11 Kozhevennaya Street, tel.: 8 (8312) 331404;
In Moscow – the Independent Press Center, 3 “Б” Sadovaya-Chernogryazskaya Street, tel.: 8(495) 2322891