In Dagestan, beaten lawyer Sergey Kvasov transferred into ordinary hospital ward

On April 11, the severely beaten Dagestan lawyer Sergey Kvasov was transferred from resuscitation to ordinary ward. Now, his condition remains stably grave. His colleagues come to act as blood donors for Sergey.

Let us remind you that in the evening on April 9 in central Makhachkala the well-known Dagestan lawyer Sergey Kvasov was severely beaten. The incident happened at about 7:00 p.m. in the barber shop located in the Buinaksk Street, where the lawyer came in. While he was waiting for his turn, two Lada-Priora cars with tinted glasses drove up to the building, and four men, two of them in masks, jumped out of the cars.

Two of them entered the shop and started beating Sergey Kvasov with armature rods or bats. According to journalist Sergey Rasulov, the lawyer's friend, even after the latter lost consciousness, they continued severely beating him, the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" reports.

As a result, Kvasov was brought to the Central Republic's Hospital and diagnosed collar bone and leg fractures, compressed skull bone fracture, open craniocerebral trauma, brain bruise and epidural haematoma (the second brain layer was damaged).

For several hours he was out of consciousness and needed a surgery, which was done at night on April 10 at the neurosurgery department of the Central Republic's Hospital of Dagestan. On April 11 Kvasov was transferred from resuscitation to ordinary ward. Now his condition remains stably grave. His colleagues come to give blood for transfusion.

According to their stories, Sergey Kvasov, 40, is a well-known lawyer, a notable society figure, familiar to journalists and employees of law enforcement bodies.

In March 2008, Mr Kvasov took part in the litigation on the murder case of Gadji Abashilov, chairman of the GTRK "Dagestan" under Article 208 of the Criminal Code ("Organization of illegal armed formation or participation therein"), and in other cases under this article. He also took part in the cases about the terror act in Kaspiisk on May 9, 2002, explosion of an apartment house in Buinaksk in 1999, murder of the nephew of Saigidpasha Umakhanov, head of Khasavyurt, and in other resonant trials.

A source in Makhachkala UVD (Interior Department) said that inquiry is underway, and an investigatory-operative group tries to establish and detain the attackers. The militia believes that the cause of the attack could be in the lawyer's professional activities.