Police violence in Russia

Can you describe the work you do at Public Verdict Foundation?

We began 10 years ago with the aim of supporting victims of human rights abuses committed by law enforcement bodies - be they police or those working in the penitentiary system - and we provide them with legal assistance during the investigation process. We also try to push investigators to do their work properly by looking into abuse of power as they should, and if we manage to get a case to court, we represent victims there.

How would you describe the relationship between Russian police and the Russian people?

According to sociological surveys in recent years, the level of trust toward the police is quite low. On the one hand, people do not believe in the effectiveness of police officers, and don’t think the police would resolve their case if they took it to them. But at the same time, people understand that the police are the only state institution that represents protection and security. So although they do not believe in their effectiveness, they are willing to provide them with assistance in their work.

Can you give me an example of the kind of cases people bring to you?

The majority are torture cases, and the stories are quite similar, even though they happen in different regions. People are arrested on the street, taken to the police station, and beaten in order to secure a confession. Sometimes people are subjected to extreme torture but refuse to confess, and are then released without charge. They come to us because they have decided to fight the injustice.

In one example, we have a case where three young men were arrested in southern Russia, taken to Siberia by plane, subjected to extreme torture at the police station in order to make them confess to murder. They refused to confess, and after several days of torture, were released. They have serious health consequences from the torture, which included electrocution, and now want to bring the police officers to trial. The investigators are refusing to open a criminal case, so we are trying to push them.

It is a huge challenge to take on the police force, particularly given that you are quite a small organization. How do you tackle such a vast apparatus?

Sometimes it’s quite difficult because we are quite small - we have a staff of just 15, as well as lawyers who cooperate with us in different regions. But it can be hard to find lawyers willing to work on cases against police officers, especially in smaller places, and especially now that the authorities are trying to mark us as foreign agents, and stigmatize us in the mass media as working in the interests of people abroad.

So you are trying to change both a system and a mindset?

Yes. We use a two-way approach. On the one hand, we try help particular people in difficult situations who have become victims of abuse, and on the other, we are trying to show that the problems are systematic in nature. We are trying to change the system and the whole situation, so we help particular people, and also promote systematic change, develop recommendations and encourage participation in the police reform which started four years ago and is still not finished.

How is Public Verdict Foundation regarded in the public eye in light of its portrayal in the mass media as a foreign agent?

Those who have had no difficulties with law enforcement officers believe anyone who has must have done something wrong. But those who have been through bad experiences themselves, and seen how the authorities do not want to help them resolve their cases, understand that the only institutions able to provide assistance are human rights NGOs like ours.

Equally, propaganda in the mass media is quite effective, and there is a widespread public belief that NGOs are working in the interests of people from abroad. We see it when we are trying to organize events with local authorities. In recent years, it has become more and more difficult to reach agreement with local authorities on joint activities. Even though they know us and know we are professional, they are not ready to communicate with us, because the state-controlled media considers us a foreign agent. All that said, we also receive a lot of media support - mostly on the Internet.

What are the positive results you have seen from your work so far?

It is not that yesterday we had a lot of problems, and today the situation is much better, but 10 years ago it was not possible get a criminal case opened against a police officer. Now it is. But it is still quite difficult to push investigators to look into such cases. Ten years ago, on the very rare occasions that police officers were found guilty, they received a suspended sentence. Now our statistics show that about 60 percent found guilty receive real sentences. There have been eighty people so far.

How many people might approach you in a given month?

It is different from month to month. In February, we had mass arrests of people who took to the streets in peaceful protests against a war in Ukraine, and many applied to us for assistance. So in a couple of days we received several dozens of complaints. But in general we work on 120 cases - mostly relating to torture and illegal police violence - throughout the year.

If we look at the situation 10 years ago compared to now, it is clear that human rights work, and the work of NGOs is helpful for people. The growing number of cases is not because police have become more violent, but because people realize that it is possible to fight against such situations, and they are starting to do it.

Natalia Taubina is a Russian human rights activist and the director of Public Verdict Foundation in Russia. She previously co-founded and ran the Russian human rights initiative Foundation for Civil Society.