On 29 June 2019, in Nizhny Novgorod, the 1st Festival of Martial Arts dedicated to the International Day in Support of the Victims of Torture took place in the square next to Hero-Boat monument.   

“Force should definitely be accompanied with brains, and the fights should necessarily be conducted according to the rules. A fighter who fights not according to the rules is a criminal. I would like to address to law-enforcement officers now: we would like to invite them to our warm lot – to the team of the fighters who fight according to the rules”, – that’s how Chairman of the Committee Against Torture Igor Kalyapin opened the festival.    https://www.youtube.com/embed/Yd4gNEReylQ

The event was organized by: INGO “The Committee Against Torture”, NRO FSO “The National Federation of Martial Arts”, the Pankration Federation of the Nizhny Novgorod region, the Nizhny Novgorod regional sports and patriotic organization “The Sword and the Shield”.    

In the framework of the festival, ten fights in different sports disciplines took place: karate, freestyle wrestling, boxing, Thai boxing, Pankration, combat sambo.

As we have previously reported, in 1997, according to the recommendation of the Economic and Social Council, the UN General Assembly proclaimed the 26th of June the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. This day is dedicated to attracting the public’s attention to the necessity of eradicating torture and enforcement of the provisions of the Convention against torture and other inhumane and degrading types of treatment and punishment dated 1984, which came into effect in 26 June 1987.