Advocate Salov’s case

On 15 June 2001 the Voroshilov district court of Donetsk satisfied advocate Salov’s claim against the town prosecutor’s office and militia. The claim concerned ‘the torture and degrading treatment during investigation’. As the claimant affirms, he was kept in the only cell without a bunk, so he had to sleep on the bare floor. After several months staying in the preliminary prison his health deteriorated. The claimant demanded the compensation of Hr 50 thousand. The court ruled to satisfy the claim partly and to enforce the Donetsk town prosecutor’s office and the Donetsk militia directorate to pay Salov Hr 1.5 thousand each as the compensation for moral damage.

Yet, the accusation of Salov is not taken off. On 31 October 1999, on the eve of the presidential election, Salov found in his mailbox the parliament newspaper ‘Golos Ukrainy’, which informed of Leonid Kuchma’s death. It was a fake, and Salov did not take part in its printing. He showed this newspaper to a few people and was arrested for spreading false rumors. Salov was accused of violating Article 127 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code ‘Preventing to realize the right for election’. For this ‘crime’ in July 2000 Salov was convicted to five years of incarceration with the postponement of the verdict for two years. Before the trial he was kept in the preliminary prison.

Our informant