ONK asked to release from prison persons who do not pose a danger to society
Photo: Andrew Nikitichev / AGN “Moscow”
the Chairman of the Public oversight Commission (POC) of Moscow Georgy Volkov appealed to the leadership of law enforcement and Supervisory authorities, as well as the head of the Supreme court of the Russian Federation with an open letter which calls for the transfer of prisoners charged with non-violent crimes under house arrest in connection with the pandemic COVID-19, and entered the Federal penitentiary service of the restrictive measures.
“I Think it is important that courts and law enforcement agencies took into account the recommendations of the human rights community in the election of alternative measures of restraint, because house arrest is in itself a measure of isolation,” – said in a letter to the head of the Moscow ONK George Volkov, quoted by “Interfax”.
According to him, active election by the courts of alternative measures of restraint will help contain the spread of the virus, to protect people in places of detention, employees of the penal system and law enforcement.Volkov also asked the courts to grant a stay of execution of administrative punishment in the form of administrative arrest or replace it with an alternative punishment. In addition, he recalled that the high Commissioner of the United Nations on human rights called upon all States to release prisoners, do not pose a danger, and in the shortest possible time to unload the prison.
In the letter, Volkov notes that the human rights community very concerned with the complex epidemiological situation in the world and in Russia. According to him, currently in Moscow taken unprecedented measures to combat the spread of coronavirus, but it is in places of detention, in principle, no possibility of taking proper measures to create the necessary conditions and providing medical care in case of infection.
in addition, the PMC believe that the quarantine has been imposed in pretrial detention in Moscow, which terminated investigations, and are not allowed lawyers and social activists, “is a violation of human rights, despite the fact that these measures are taken to preserve the health and lives of people.”
the Executive Secretary of the PMC Alexey Melnikov said that despite the fact that currently there is no clear explanation, is there any entrance for members of the Commission, his colleagues have faced the fact of non-admission in the places of detention.
Previously, the Federal service of execution of punishments (FSIN) due to the spread of the coronavirus stopped taking suspects and accused persons in seven of the eight detention centres in Moscow. In addition, the FSIN has banned the transmission in a Moscow prison, and even earlier – date with the inmates of the colonies and insulators.
