Pensioner Lilia Gremina (photo) who was unlawfully detained by the police in March 2007 for participating in a massive oppositional public rally claims 100 000 rubles as compensation.

   Today the Nizhegorodsky district court of Nizhny Novgorod chaired by judge Mironova will start preliminary hearings under the suit filed by Ms. Lilia Gremina from Nizhny Novgorod who on 27 March 2007 was unlawfully detained by the police during an oppositional public rally. Ms. Gremina experienced physical and moral suffering resulting from police abuse. The physical suffering manifested itself in injuries that were documented by forensic medical experts, and also in deterioration of her health due to hypertensive crisis caused by psychological and emotional stress following the above mentioned events.  As for the moral suffering, Ms. Gremina was distressed because her health had aggravated and her rights to respect of human dignity, liberty and personal security were violated. 70-year old Ms. Gremina applied for help to the Committee against Torture which is still helping her to restore her rights. Besides, lawyers of the Committee have sent an application to the European Court on behalf of Ms. Gremina, the application was registered in summer 2009.

    In November 2009 the Committee filed a civil suit claiming compensation of moral damage incurred to Ms. Gremina by unlawful actions of law enforcement agents to the Nizhegorodsky district court. Today at 16:00 there will be the first preliminary hearing under this case.