The head of the HRC proposed a ban in Russia of sending prisoners to distant colonies
Moscow. March 8. INTERFAX.RU — Chairman of the Council under RF President on development of civil society and human rights (HRC) Mikhail Fedotov said about the urgent need to amend the Russian Criminal code concerning, in particular, the issue of sending prisoners to the colonies that are far away from their place of residence.
“We need a long time to make changes to the Penal code, because all the time conflicts arise because of imperfection of our legislation in this area,” Fedotov said on air of radio station “Echo of Moscow”.
He commented on released on March 7 decision of the European court of human rights (ECHR) ordered Russia to pay 27 Euro 672 thousand six Russian prisoners who were sent to too distant from their place of residence in the colony. The decree specifies that the ECHR has fixed the violation by Russia of article 8 (right to private and family life) and article 6 (right to a fair trial) of the European Convention on human rights.
“I believe that this decision of the ECHR will be a lesson for the prison service to review their enforcement. (…) On the other hand, I hope this will encourage our legislators to amend the Criminal Executive code. There are a number of issues that need urgent change,” said in this regard, the head of the HRC.
He said that now scientists and law experts to develop the concept of the new Criminal-Executive code of the Russian Federation
And while the changes are not made, the Federal penitentiary service, according to Fedotov, have to make decisions about the direction of the convicted in this or that colony, “based on the requirements of reasonableness and adequacy”.
He called the decision of the ECHR is correct, despite the fact that Russia is 5-8 thousand kilometers from the place of residence to the place of punishment — not that big of a distance.
Fedotov suggested that, perhaps, after these lawsuits, the court system may be revised, and other situation, such “disappearance” Ildar Dading for six weeks at a time when activist convicted were transferred from one colony to another will be impossible.