Street pickets in support of victims of torture are held annually on June 26. The United Nations proclaimed this day International Day in Support of Victims of Torture 18 years ago.
Signs kept by picketers organized by the mission of the "Committee against Torture" in Mari El demonstrated that the holding of such picket in Yoshkar-Ola was no accident. They imaged those of citizens of the republic who over the years has undergone wrongful influence, violence by law enforcement officials: Ivan Kozlov, Vyacheslav Timoshenko, Dmitry Efremov. Their status of victims of torture was established by the courts; the law enforcement officials, exceeded their official powers to these people, were punished. Although not always, as in the case of Dmitry Yefremov. The process of establishing justice in the case of the protection of victims of torture with the accused police officers lasts for years.
Anatoly Yadykov was among the participants of the picket. Just the other day, after eight months of investigation with four refusals to open a criminal investigation into the death of his son Maxim after the examination fight for admission to the republican Special Police Force, the case was finally opened.
The picketers handed out booklets on the central square of Yoshkar-Ola, telling concrete examples of victims of torture in Mari El.
What did the representatives of the police who kept order during the campaign think about this event? One of them, on condition of anonymity, first explained correspondent of "7x7" that there were no victims of torture in the republic — a modern police is correct and is engaged in policing but not committing crimes. After reviewing the content of the booklet, he agreed that some cases could take place. "Such actions as knocking evidence, intimidation may be initiated by some young guys who came from the regions. They have bravado, there is also, perhaps, a sense of permissiveness. This is wrong," he said and agreed that the actions of the protesters were not a waste of time, "they warn, say that it can happen, and that it can’t be accepted." One of the passing by residents of Yoshkar-Ola did not agree with the police in absentia. In her opinion, calls for the victims of torture can now only come from representatives of the "fifth column". That’s what she yelled in the direction of the protesters. This event did not affect the overall result — a picket in Yoshkar-Ola was calm, held with dignity and without incident.
Dmitry Lyubimov, «7x7»
