The execution of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights concerning the effectiveness of the investigation into torture and cruel treatment committed by the police
1. The present memorandum has been prepared by a group of Russian human rights NGOs providing legal support to the victims of torture and other human rights violations committed by law-enforcement officers. Authors of the present memorandum are Krasnoyarsk Committee for Human Rights Protection, Memorial Human Rights Commission of Komi Republic, Interregional Public Organization "Committee against Torture" (Nizhni Novgorod), Regional Public Organization "Women of the Don Union" (Rostov on Don), Regional Public Organization "Man and Law" (Yoshkar Ola), Public Verdict Foundation (Moscow), Center of Civic Education and Human Rights (Perm).
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On Compliance of the Russian Federation with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
The Alternative NGO Report On Compliance of the Russian Federation with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in the period from 2003 to 2008 has been prepared jointly by a coalition of Russian non-governmental organizations, including Center for the Development of Democracy and Human Rights, SOVA Center for Information and Analysis, "Public Verdict" Foundation, "Memorial" Human Rights Center, "Civic Assistance" Committee, Center for International Protection, National Center for Prevention of Violence "Anna", Center for the Defense of Media Rights, and the Inter-Regional Human Rights Group. Materials for the report have been also provided by Lawyers for Constitutional Rights and Freedoms/ JURIX, Moscow Helsinki Group, the Institute for Human Rights, "Right of the Child", "Social Partnership" Foundation, and other Russian NGOs. Center for the Development of Democracy and Human Rights coordinated preparation of the Report.
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Investigation and judicial decisions on torture cases: An analysis of cases executed by the Public Verdict Foundation and its regional partners
The Russian Federation, being a party to the UN Convention against tortures and European Convention for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, is responsible for preventing torture and cruel and humiliating treatment within its boundaries, the effective investigation of the complaints about human rights violations, the criminal prosecution of the guilty and compensation to the victims.
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MATERIALS PREPARED BY RUSSIAN NGOs OR THE UNIVERSAL ERIODIC REVIEW OF RUSSIA IN THE UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
This collection of materials has been produced in August-September 2008 by a coalition of Russian NGOs for submission to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in the course of preparation of Universal Periodic Review of implementation of international obligations by the Russian Federation in the UN Human Rights Council.
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Fabrications of “Islamic extremism” criminal cases in Russia: campaign continues
In the nearly one and a half years that have passed since the last report, the campaign of fabrication of “Islamic extremism” criminal cases passed through an interim period of very relative easing, before once again being stepped up in April 2008.
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Activity of the Public Verdict Foundation in 2007
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Statement of the Rusian human right NGOs
The Russian Human Rights NGOs submitted their Shadow report on the Observance of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment by the Russian Federation for the period from 2001 to 2006 at 37
th session of the Committee continues to monitor the situation. Below is the report of the Russian NGOs on how the Russian Federation observed some of the Committees’ recommendations
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Law-enforcement bodies VS. Civil society
At the moment the struggle for political stability and state integrity in the Russian Federation is turning into the fight against dissidence, any signs of public political activity and the civil society as it is.
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The First Year of Implementation of the New Russian NGO Legislation: Main Problems and Recommendations om Amendments
Upon adoption of the new Russian legislation on non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the beginning of
2006 and its coming into force on April
18,
2006, the situation of NGOs in
Russia has continued to deteriorate. Freedom of association is becoming increasingly restricted and the pressure exerted by the Russian authorities on independent NGOs has intensified through legal and non-legal forms. Restrictive application of the new NGO legislation is combined with the use of other restrictive legal tools such as the counter-extremism legislation, tax laws, and the legislation on meetings, rallies, and demonstrations.
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Activity of the Public Verdict Foundation in 2006
The Public Verdict Foundation offers legal assistance to Russian citizens, who have suffered from unlawful, unapproved actions of law enforcement officials. In 2006 the Foundation was working on more than 100 cases. Most of them were connected with the use of torture in Russian police and teenagers’ abuse, as well as with the facts of inappropriate performance of their duties by the members of the Office of public prosecutor and police while receiving petitions from citizens.
Furthermore among the cases that the Foundation was working on in 2006, the number of ones connected with the violation of rights and interests of human rights activists and groups has increased dramatically. In this connection the Foundation has decided to develop the legal work on such cases into the separate branch of its activity.
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Activity of the Public Verdict Foundation in 2006
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A Note Concerning Pressure against Human Rights Defenders and Journalists in Cases Monitored by the Public Verdict Foundation
Our analysis of the cases detailed below reveals that litigation is currently the most effective remedy against arbitrariness faced by human rights defenders at the hands of authorities. Government officials employ all methods and means, including unlawful criminal or administrative proceedings, to discredit human rights defenders in the public opinion, and to limit or deny them the possibility of engaging in their professional work.
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