In Chechnya, case against five local residents accused of killing policemen is sent to court

Five residents of Chechnya are to appear before the court on charges of killing in 2012 four staff member of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) for Bashkortostan, who were on an official trip. This was reported by the Prosecutor's Office of Chechnya. Officials indicate that all of the defendants plead guilty.

Meanwhile, according to a source from Chechen human rights organizations, who preferred to remain anonymous, three defendants in the criminal case have abandoned their testimonies and explained that the confessions had been knocked out of them by law enforcers, who used torture.

"The investigating authorities did not initiate criminal proceedings against operative staff members, who used unlawful methods of influence against the detainees. Moreover, none of the detainees was even examined by doctors after they reported the use of torture," the source has stated.

A relative of one of the defendants also claims the detainee was subjected to torture. He notes that he has a record of the trial made on a mobile phone. "The record shows that Islam cannot stand on his feet, and that court marshals literally drag him by the arms. However, the judge and the prosecutor are not interested in this circumstance," the man emphasizes.