From 22d to 25th of July Director of NGO «Legal Basis» — Aleksei Sokolov, attorney and chairman of «Transregional center of human rights»- Roman Kachanov took part in seminar for members of Public Monitoring Committee, officers of Ministry of Internal Affairs and Federal Service for Execution of punishment in Rostov region which was organized by Public Monitoring Committee of Rostov region in Rostov-on-Don.
Ural human rights defenders were pleasantly surprised how successfully Rostov Committee work together with Federal Service… Cooperation as an equal against law violations of human rights in correctional facilities…
That’s the reason we remind about situation in Sverdlovsk Public Monitoring Committee whose chairman — Manasov — continually being caught breaking the law….when he visits prisons to hide traces of crimes made by administration of colony, suppresses convicts, threatens them, throws mud on other members of Committee, signs different papers under authority of Committee. So we feel the difference there…
Effectiveness of cooperation between Rostov Public Monitoring Committee and defense and law enforcement agencies was expressed in the fact that on the first day of seminar showed up Head of Federal Service for Execution of punishment — General Smirnov as well as many other high-ranking people delivered their speeches.
On the second, third and the fourth days of seminar, workshops for members, officers of Ministry of Internal Affairs and Federal Service were organized up there. The human rights organization «Law and Order» from Mari El Republic were delivering trainings on human rights topic.
As the project event the participants have visited female prison, juvenile prison in Azov and police department in Aksay of Rostov region.
Members of Public Monitoring Committee in Rostov region and participants of the seminar have been admitted to the prisons without obstacles, besides they were allowed to bring photo and video cameras and to use it.
Human rights defenders from Sverdlovsk region were glad to be in atmosphere where defense and law enforcement agencies don’t chase defenders and don’t make troubles but work together to change the existing situation.
Definitely Sverdlovsk Prison Committee has something to learn from Rostov Committee. The most common practice of Federal Service for Execution of punishment is not to acknowledge the problem, not to resolve it but to hide or pretend it doesn’t exist at all. Our Federal Service for Execution of punishment got used to fight not against problem but against source of information (convicts, family members of them, human rights defenders). Probablytheysimplycannothandleit…
It is so good to know that such bad practice used by Federal Service for Execution of punishment of Sverdlovsk region and which they try to impose as a norm is not common for all Russia but maybe exception in our region. Wedohopeitmightbecorrected.
Aleksei Sokolov and Roman Kachanov thank the Chairman of Rostov Public Monitoring Committee — Leonid Petrashis and Executive Director of the project of Europe Council — Lyubov Nikolayevna Vinogradovf for providing the opportunity to participate in important event and to learn a lot .
Human rights defenders of the Urals
