The Duma passes a law that will introduce tougher sentences for acts of torture committed by law enforcement officers

22.06.2022

A law that can impose maximum 15-year prison sentences for acts of torture has passed its third reading in the Duma.

Government officials who organise or carry out torture in order to elicit confessions or intimidate people could face up to 12 years in prison. Death or serious injury resulting from acts of torture may carry a prison sentence of eight to fifteen years and a 20-year ban on holding certain offices.

Under the new law, investigators, interrogators and federal members of the State prison service can also be punished for acts of torture.

According to the Committee against Torture (which has been included on the list of unregistered CSO foreign agents by the Ministry of Justice) no criminal charges have been brought against a torturer in 51% of real crime cases. Several publications have carried special articles on the lack of proper legislation for addressing abuse committed by law enforcement officers in order to create greater public awareness of the issue.

Source: https://www.asi.org.ru/news/2022/06/22/gosduma-prinyala-zakon-ob-uzhestochenii-nakazaniya-za-pytki/