The participants in an international conference of practicing lawyers and jurists from five CIS countries, which was held in the Russian town Velikii Novgorod on February 18-19, asked the Russian authorities to take attitude to the illegal arrest of Moldovan lawyer Veaceslav Turcan at the Domodedovo airport in Moscow. Veaceslav Turcan, who heads the representative office of the international NGO Human Rights Embassy, was to take part in the conference as a moderator.
In a joint statement signed by the participants in the conference, the Russian authorities are asked to oblige the Prosecutor General’s Office to take legal action over the violation of human rights and the discriminatory attitude of the Domodedovo border guards. The signatories demand that all the persons who were illegally detained inside the airport should be declared victims, including lawyer Turcan, while the Russian officials should publicly apologize and pay damages for the moral damage and physical suffering caused.
In a news conference at IPN, Veaceslav Turcan said that he was arrested at the Domodedovo airport, where Russian border guards took his passport and informed him that he cannot enter Russia until October 16, 2018. He was then taken to a detention room inside the airport, where he was held in inhuman and degrading conditions for over 12 hours. About 60 persons of different nationalities were held in that room that was at most 20 square meters in area. About 60 persons of different nationalities were held in that room that was at most 20 square meters in area. There was only one toilet and no air conditioning there and they were given one glass for drinking water.
Veaceslav Turcan said the reason why he was banned from entering Russia wasn’t explained to him, but he presumes that it happened because he represents a number of petitioners who sued Russia at the European Court of Human Rights.
