A/HRC/7/3/Add.2 page 102 (paras. 9 and 24). He is concerned by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture’s (CPT) assessment of March 2007 that members of law enforcement agencies and security forces in Chechnya continued to resort to torture and unlawful detentions and that investigations into cases involving allegations of ill-treatment or unlawful detention were still rarely carried out in an effective manner. 4 He notes that in CPT’s opinion the reactions of the federal authorities were not commensurate with the gravity of the Committee’s findings”, and that the authorities’ consistent refusal to engage in a meaningful manner with CPT on core issues was “qualified as a failure to cooperate”. 5 534. Further, in view of reports of disappearances Chechnya 6 , the Special Rapportuer urges the Government to take all measures necessary to investigate past disappearances, and to consider ratification of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. As he has repeatedly stated in the past, the Special Rapporteur considers that the most effective way of preventing torture is to expose all places of detention to public scrutiny (see e.g. A/61/259, para. 74). He recommends the Government to ratify the Optional Protocol to the CAT. 535. The Special Rapporteur reiterates his request to the Russian Federation to allow him to carry out an objective visit to the Russian Federation, in particular the North Caucasus, in accordance with its invitation of 22 May 2006, and in line with the standard terms of reference of Special Procedures, with a view to developing a long-term process of cooperation to prevent and combat torture and ill-treatment (see also A/HRC/4/33, para. 15). 536. Recommendation (a) stated: The Special Rapporteur believes that only by adopting at once the following recommendation can the Government of the Russian Federation begin to discharge the responsibility of the Russian State to those within its jurisdiction under its own law and under international law to prevent torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. He, therefore, appeals to the Government of the Russian Federation to remove from confinement in centres of detention on remand (isolators) all 71,000 detained in excess of the officially proclaimed capacity of existing institutions. 537. Recommendation (b) stated: This recommendation should be put into effect by Presidential Decree if necessary. It could probably be achieved by ordering the release pending trial of all non-violent first-time offenders, any remaining overcrowding could be eliminated by opening up, on a temporary basis, indoor stadiums or other comparable public places, and transferring the excess population to such places. 4 Public statement concerning the Chechen Republic of the Russian Federation, 13 March 2007, CPT/Inf (2007) 17. 5 Ibid. 6 Initial conclusions of the visit of the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Chechen Republic of the Russian Federation, 6 March 2007 CommDH(2007)6.