Police abuses against Roma, migrants and activists: Russia’s record before the UN Committee against Torture
Russia’s record of torture and ill-treatment is up for review by the UN
Committee against Torture. On Friday 9th and Monday 12th November, the Committee
will hear Russian officials and engage in a dialogue to monitor the Russian
Federation’s compliance with the UN Convention against Torture and other Cruel,
Inhuman or Degrading Treatment.
ADC Memorial, with FIDH’s support, provided the Committee with evidence
through a public report:
Roma, Migrants, Activists: Victims of Police Abuse. Against a backdrop of
increasing repression against dissident voices and marginalized people in
today’s Russia, this review is an opportunity for the UN monitoring body to call
on Russia to reform its legislation and revise its policies to end to police
abuses. ADC Memorial and FIDH call on Russia to uphold the basic dignity and
integrity of all persons on its territory, without discrimination.
The
ADC Memorial – FIDH report documents daily police abuses suffered by
specific segments of the Russian population: marginalized groups such as Roma,
migrants and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals, and
dissident voices such as social activists, journalists and human rights
defenders. These abuses range from ethnic profiling and daily abuse of authority
to ’special operations’, beatings in police stations and torture, sometimes
leading to death. They not only violate international conventions prohibiting
torture, but are also a blatant contradiction of new Russian police legislation,
which entered into force in March 2011 asserting principles of police
accountability and non-discrimination against ethnic, linguistic and other
minorities.
