A "round table" in support of victims of torture in Kabardino-Balkaria

When opening the "round-table" discussion, Valery Khatazhukov, leader of the Kabardino-Balkaria human rights center, stated that, so far, it had been impossible to discuss torture publicly, since the republic's political regime itself used to be source of numerous unlawful actions.

He explained what is included into the term of torture under the UN Convention against Torture adopted in 1984 and cited the article of the Convention which establishes that no emergency state or any other circumstances may justify torture.

Yury Bagov, a lawyer, head of the committee on law and order and the protection of citizens' rights of the public advisory commission under the president of Kabardino-Balkaria, followed suit. In his opinion, no matter how serious the crime is, the state has no right to resort to violence with regard to the perpetrator.

In Yury Bagov's opinion, torture may be moral, as well as physical: "In accordance with international norms, prisoners are entitled to 4 sq. m. In the Kabardino-Balkaria pre-trial prison, 4 persons are held per 4 sq. m. This is torture, too." Yury Bagov stated that the situation in the republic was positively changing, and there was hope for an ombudsman to be appointed. The previous attempts to create the institute of ombudsman failed.

Defense lawyer Irina Komissarova cited facts from her experience when prisoners had been tortured. In particular, this had taken place after the events of October 13. "When the events happed I thought I would never defend any participant in the attack. But then I was appointed to defend Rasul Kudaev and Batyr Pshibiev. I noticed outrageous violations of human rights. My defendants had been so cruelly beaten that they could hardly move. The ambulance was called for. I wrote to the republic's prosecutor's office to describe all this. The prosecutor's office responded that the fact of beating had not been confirmed. My application was called "ungrounded insinuation."

Magomed Abubakarov, lawyer of the "International Initiative" organization, said that this was a problem for all Russia. He stated that Moscow public human rights organizations moved a proposal to separate investigation from supervision. Prosecutor's offices should only supervise abidance by the law.

Yury Khagov from the town of Terek, whose son was killed on October 13, said that militia had repeatedly raided their home and turned everything upside down: "Even Germans did not rush in this way." His son was detained and beaten many times. His only fault was in that he went to the mosque to pray.

Several people took the floor during the round table. Under the old regime, they had been in opposition and subjected to persecution and moral pressure. Among them were Mohamadin Tumov, former deputy of the Russian Supreme Soviet against whom 9 criminal cases had been initiated, retired colonel Husein Kashirgov, and others.

When closing the round table discussions in Kabardino-Balkaria, Valery Khatazhukov said that the event started a tradition of discussing problem. He proposed that the public advisory council should also discuss the problem at one of its sittings.