Nalchik resident complains to human rights defenders of torture in SIZO

Islam Kurmanov, a student from the city of Nalchik of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, who is kept at the SIZO (pre-trial prison), has appealed to human rights defenders with a complaint of torture and enforcement to testify about the crimes, which he had not committed.

Islam Kurmanov reported that on March 17 he went to the university to re-take the exam. At 10:15 a.m., he left a shuttle bus in front of the Physics and Mathematics Department of the university, and after that two men in masks with pistols in their hands hit him to his head from behind. They forced Islam Kurmanov into a VAZ-2115 car of silver colour, put a plastic bag on the head of the young man, threatened him with punishment and drove him away to some unknown destination, the statement of the Human Rights Centre "Memorial" reports.

According to the human right defenders, after the men in masks brought Islam Kurmanov into a building, they tied his hands and feet with tape, tied up the plastic bag on his head, seated him on a chair and began to ask him to name addresses of "terrorists". Then, the kidnappers knocked him on his stomach and began to beat him and torture him with electric current, threatening to rape him, if he did not give the information they needed. According to the young man, he lost consciousness several times.

According to Islam Kurmanov himself, after that they forced him to sign documents and to learn testimony. Then, the kidnappers brought him to another place, the report states. According to Islam Kurmanov, they planted into his pockets a grenade, a fuse, shells, and drugs and demanded to confirm that the content belonged to him. After that, police officers with witnesses arrived.

The investigator Shogenov considered testimony compiled earlier as "clumsy", rewrite it and gave to Islam Kurmanov, according to him, to sign. "I was afraid of physical violence, and I signed the documents. Then, at about 3:30 a.m., I was brought to the IVS (temporary detention facility)," Islam wrote in his statement.

At present, Islam Kurmanov is kept at the Nalchik SIZO, and he is suspected of arms and ammunition traffic. The position of the law enforcement agencies in this statement has not yet been announced.