Paul
Goble
Staunton, November 9 – Aleksey Fedyarov,
the head of the legal department of Russia behind Bars, has written a new book, Innocent
Under Investigation: Instructions for the Defense of Your Rights (Moscow,
2020). The MBK news agency has now published the chapter devoted to how the
authorities cover up torture (mbk-news.appspot.com/suzhet/razgovor-s-irinoj-biryukovoj/).
The excerpt
consists of an interview he did with Irina Biryukova, another lawyer who has
been actively involved in the cause of prisoner rights. She says that the heads
of places of investigation and imprisonment intimidate those confined as well
as jailors and doctors into hiding the extent of the problem.
Even doctors, who nominally are not
subordinate to the prison system, often feel compelled to deny evidence of
torture lest they not be called to work in the prisons again and thus lose
their incomes. Thus, gathering evidence
of torture is often extremely difficult, Biryukova says.
Indeed, she continues, “without
support from outside” the prison system, or “without a good lawyer who is
prepared to fight and isn’t afraid,” there is almost no chance for someone behind
bars either in the investigation facilities or in the prisons and camps to
protect himself or herself against torture.
But with such support, Biryukova
says, it is possible for prisoners to defend themselves; and they must make use
of it as well as seeking the assistance of those jailors who still care about
being professionals and of other prisoners who recognize that what is done to
any one of them may soon be done to all.
Prisoners with their lawyers can
sometimes get help from the plenipotentiary for human rights; but at least up
to now, there is little hope that the procuracy will intervene. To overcome the
current situation, Biryukova says, not just the prison system but the entire
legal system must be reformed because each part most of the time covers for all
the others.
No comments:
Post a Comment