89% of Russians have not been to jail, a pre-trial detention centre, a holding cell or a temporary detention facility. 4% have friends or relatives who have been to a pre-trial detention centre, a holding cell or a temporary detention facility, 4% stated that their friends or relatives have been to penitentiary facilities. 3% have been to a pre-trial detention centre, a holding cell or a temporary detention facility, 2% have been to jail.
Two-thirds of Russians believe that torture is unacceptable under any circumstances. 20% believe that torture is permissible: 11% – in extreme cases: if it can save the innocent lives, 9% – to those who have committed serious violent crimes.
45% of respondents believe that torture is most common in the institutions of the Federal Penitentiary Service, 41% – in the police, during investigations, 18% – in the Investigative Committee and the FSB.
Results of the previous survey on torture in Russian detention facilities.
Methodology
This survey was conducted October 21 – 27 2021, among a representative sample of all Russian urban and rural residents. The sample consisted of 1636 people aged 18 or older in 137 municipalities of 50 regions of the Russian Federation. The survey was conducted as a personal interview in respondents’ homes. The answer distribution is presented as percentages of the total number of participants along with data from previous surveys.
The statistical error of these studies for a sample of 1600 people (with a probability of 0.95) does not exceed:
3.4% for indicators around 50%
2.9% for indicators around 25%/75%
2.0% for indicators around 10%/90%
1.5% for indicators around 5%/95%
The ANO Levada Center has been included in the registry of non-commercial organizations acting as foreign agents.