Russian authorities have publicly commended torture of individuals accused of carrying out a terrorist attack in Krasnogorsk near Moscow, marking a catastrophe since such behavior by the Kremlin signifies approval of torture in other cases, stated the independent Russian portal Meduza on Tuesday.
“The problem lies in the fact that the state tries to portray torture as acts of valor and exemplary work by officials. In an effective system, it’s not about sophisticated, animalistic cruelty inflicted on suspects. An effective system involves preventing acts of terror and exposing terrorist groups - and that’s precisely what society demands, not what we are seeing now,” assessed one of the Russian human rights defenders in a conversation with Meduza, wishing to remain anonymous.
He expressed the belief that the Kremlin sent a signal to lower-level law enforcement agencies that the use of torture is permissible and that perpetrators of such acts will remain unpunished.
“The normalization of violence, associated with Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine for the past two years, may worsen the situation regarding torture. [...] If we turn a blind eye to all of this, then many people will likely think that it’s acceptable,” emphasized Sergey Babinets, head of the non-governmental organization Team Against Torture, in a conversation with the independent portal Mediazona.
Since Saturday, there have been reports on social media that the captured fighters were brutally treated by Russian officials, including one having a part of his ear cut off, another allegedly tortured with electric shocks, and a piece of a plastic bag being noticed around the neck of another. Concerns were also raised that the accused had been beaten before the court hearing, with one of them being transported there in a wheelchair showing no response to any signals in their surroundings.
“I’ll leave that question unanswered,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov replied when asked by American CNN station whether torture had been used against the detainees.
He expressed the belief that the Kremlin sent a signal to lower-level law enforcement agencies that the use of torture is permissible and that perpetrators of such acts will remain unpunished.
“The normalization of violence, associated with Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine for the past two years, may worsen the situation regarding torture. [...] If we turn a blind eye to all of this, then many people will likely think that it’s acceptable,” emphasized Sergey Babinets, head of the non-governmental organization Team Against Torture, in a conversation with the independent portal Mediazona.
Since Saturday, there have been reports on social media that the captured fighters were brutally treated by Russian officials, including one having a part of his ear cut off, another allegedly tortured with electric shocks, and a piece of a plastic bag being noticed around the neck of another. Concerns were also raised that the accused had been beaten before the court hearing, with one of them being transported there in a wheelchair showing no response to any signals in their surroundings.
“I’ll leave that question unanswered,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov replied when asked by American CNN station whether torture had been used against the detainees.
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