![]() In other news, on 3 March 2017 The Moscow Times reported that Russia had declined to fulfill recommendations by the European Court on Human Rights [ECtHR] on combating torture during police detention. In September 2016 the ECtHR had said that the Russian authorities should implement measures to combat police brutality after reviewing an application by Tatyana Shmelva, who alleges that her son, Denis Vyrzhikovsky was beaten to death in police custody in 2010. The Russian authorities have now stated they will not implement the proposed measures against torture. On 2 March 2017 Caucasian Knot reported that Igor Kalyapin, prominent anti-torture campaigner and chair of the Committee for the Prevention of Torture, has appealed to the head of the Grozny police department to open disciplinary proceedings against police officers who refused to initiate a criminal case with regard to an attack on him in the Chechen capital. Sources: 'Russian Activist Dadin Released From Prison,' RFE/RL, 26 February 2017 ‘ "Somebody Is Going to Be Beaten." Torture is still widespread in Russian prisons, released activist Ildar Dadin tells The Moscow Times,' The Moscow Times, 28 February 2017Tom Balmforth, 'Freed from prison, Russian activist says he was ’broken’ by abuse,' Human Rights in Ukraine, 28 February 2017 'Russia Rejects Rights Court's Recommendations for Combatting Police Torture,' The Moscow Times, 3 March 2017'Igor Kalyapin challenges eighth refusal to institute criminal case on attack in Chechnya,' Caucasian Knot, 2 March 2017 Eva Hartog, 'Jailed Russian Dissident Pleads for His Life in Letter Home to Wife,' The Moscow Times, 6 November 2017 |