MOSCOW, April 17 (RAPSI) – Chair of the standing commission on civic participation in oversight of law enforcement bodies of Russia’s Presidential Human Rights Council, Chair of the Committee for the Prevention of Torture Igor Kalyapin finds it necessary to engage not-for-profit organizations in the work of torture prevention mechanisms alongside the institution of Ombudsman.

Earlier, Russia’s Human Rights Commissioner Tatiana Moskalkova stated that it was necessary to create a national prevention mechanism aimed at detection and prevention of torture, criminalization of torture of convicts and more thorough monitoring of penitentiary establishments with participation of the civil society.

According to Kalyapin, who supported the position of the Ombudsman, criminalization of torture and tighter public control in this sphere, however, are to be implemented not only across the establishments within Russia’s penitentiary system, but in all places an individual might be subjected to use of physical force on the part of law enforcement officers, like police stations and temporary holding facilities.

Moreover, the rights advocate believes, a wider range of not-for-profit organizations are to be engaged in the implementation of the torture prevention mechanism alongside the Rights Commissioner in order to make state mechanisms protecting human rights to function more efficiently.

Kalyapin welcomes the creation of the national prevention mechanism and expresses his hope that it will include competent representatives of not-for-profit organizations.