08 December 2017, 00:01
ECPT reproaches Moskalkova for distorting report on kidnappings in Chechnya
The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (ECPT) denied Tatiana Moskalkova's statement that the European delegation found no evidence of executions and extrajudicial killings in Chechnya.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Tatiana Moskalkova, the Russian Ombudsperson, made this statement on December 6.
In April the "Novaya Gazeta" wrote about detentions and murders of Chechen residents, suspected of homosexuality. The locals, interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot", said that they had known about massacres of gays for a long time.
The ECPT's release states that the European delegation visited a number of SIZOs (pre-trial prisons) and police stations in Grozny, Argun and Mesker-Yurt. Also, they examined the headquarters and barracks of the special police regiment named after A. Kadyrov and the Republic's Forensic Medical Bureau.
Besides, the ECPT members studied particular complaints about illegal detentions and ill-treatment by Chechen law enforcers.
The release notes that the main conclusions of the visit to Chechnya "were discussed at a confidential meeting with the leadership of the Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA)." The Russian authorities had authorized Tatiana Moskalkova to take part in this meeting.
"After the meeting, Russian media cited Ms Moskalkova's statement that the ECPT delegation had found no confirmation of extrajudicial executions/punishments or torture. These statements are misleading, and one should not consider that they reflect the results of the ECPT's work during this visit," the release has noted.
Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.
Author: Oleg Krasnov Source: CK correspondent
