Kazakhstan Torture Case Reaches UN

NEW YORK—Kazakhstan has failed to prevent, investigate, or punish torture by police according to a complaint filed today before the United Nations Committee Against Torture (CAT) by the Open Society Justice Initiative.

A group of at least five police officers tortured Alexander Gerasimov in 2007, resulting in serious injury and 13 days of hospitalization. Using a technique called "dry submarino," the police tied Gerasimov's hands and held him down on the floor as one officer repeatedly jammed a knee into Gerasimov's back while suffocating him with a plastic bag.

Police also delivered severe blows to Gerasimov's kidneys and threatened him with sexual violence. Gerasimov bled from his nose, ears, and abrasions on his face before finally losing consciousness. He later spent over a month receiving intensive psychiatric treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder arising from the incident.

"Torture is endemic in Central Asia. Police frequently rely on violence to extract confessions rather than conduct proper investigations," said James A. Goldston, executive director of the Open Society Justice Initiative, which is co-counsel with the Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and the Rule of Law in the complaint. "Failure to investigate or punish the perpetrators of abuse creates a vicious cycle of impunity and poisons the criminal justice system."

Gerasimov's case is the first individual complaint against Kazakhstan to be filed with the UN CAT since the country's ratification of the Convention Against Torture. It challenges Kazakhstan for torturing Gerasimov and failing to properly investigate his complaints, punish the perpetrators, or provide adequate reparations for his pain and suffering.

 "Kazakh President Nazarbaev has pledged to improve democracy and human rights, but it is not enough to sign treaties and make promises—we need to see real reform so that torture like this ends," said Goldston. "If Kazakhstan aspires to be a leader in Central Asia, it needs to protect the basic rights of its citizens."

The Open Society Justice Initiative works together with local partner organizations in Central Asia to document torture, ensure effective prosecution of those responsible, demand justice for victims, and conduct advocacy for a firm policy against using coerced confessions as evidence.

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The Open Society Justice Initiative uses law to protect and empower people around the world. Through litigation, advocacy, research, and technical assistance, the Justice Initiative promotes human rights and builds legal capacity for open societies.