More than 50 interviews with torture victims and dozens of interviews with lawyers, relatives, former police officers, judges, and procurators in five regions of Russia document the systematic use of torture and ill-treatment as a means to coerce confessions and other testimony from criminal suspects. Some knowledgeable sources, including Russia's Federal human rights ombudsman and a leading Russian judge, estimate that up to 50 percent of criminal suspects in Russia may be subjected to torture or ill-treatment. The most widespread method of police torture in Russia is prolonged beating. Asphyxiation, suspension by the arms or legs, and electroshock are also common. In addition, police use trusted prisoners in pretrial cells as proxies to beat and threaten suspects into cooperating with an investigation. Police almost always combine physical torture with threats of further physical harm and other psychological abuse. In some cases, torture has led to the victim's death or permanent disability. Even in the face of incontestable evidence of abuse, police are rarely held accountable. Courts commonly accept forced confessions at face value and use them as evidence for convictions. The government dismisses torture or ill-treatment as problems in Russia and has taken no measures to end these abusive practices. Human Rights Watch calls on the Russian government to develop a comprehensive public plan to combat police torture and ill-treatment. This should include the input and cooperation of the relevant ministries and nongovernmental organizations. Appended human rights statements by international organizations as well as relevant correspondence