News

14 March 2017

ECHR awards 45,500 in damages to prisoner subjected to torture and asks for a review of the sentence

“In its ruling on the case of Mukayev v. Russia (No. 22495/08), the ECHR reiterated that the use as evidence in criminal cases of statements obtained under torture makes the trial unfair in general”, said lawyer Olga Gnezdilova. “Thanks to this ECHR judgment, Mukayev’s sentence will be reviewed and the authorities will be obliged to conduct an effective investigation into the use of torture. At the same time, Justice Initiative is handling the totally identical case of Ayub Tuntuyev, who was repeatedly beaten by the police, subjected to electric shock torture, forced to renounce his defence lawyer and forced to speak against himself. Despite the fact that the ECHR has already sent preliminary questions to the Russian government on Tuntuyev’s case, the North Caucasus District Military Court refused to reject as inadmissible the evidence obtained under torture”

7 March 2017

Court refuses to exclude evidence obtained under torture from prosecution’s case against Ayub Tuntuyev

The criminal case was opened after the European Court of Human Rights communicated Tuntuyev’s application and sent questions to the Russian government on investigating the torture used against him. The application was made by Justice Initiative and notes that Tuntuyev faces pressure, the investigators have been inactive, and it took a long time for a criminal case to be opened.