Resident of Dagestan complains to rights defenders about torture at police

Ganipa Akaev, a resident of Dagestan, has reported that he was beaten up and tortured in one of the Makhachkala district police stations; he has addressed his complaint to the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial".

According to rights defenders, Akaev turned to the HRC on February 13. According to his story, on February 10, he was detained and tortured by agents of one of the district police stations in Makhachkala, who demanded from him to confess of stealing construction tools in the Kirov District of the city. After Akaev said that he had nothing to do with the thefts, policemen began beating him up, the HRC reports.

The press release of the HRC "Memorial" also states that "the torture and beatings continued for about three hours," after which Ganipa Akaev "signed all the papers and confessed of stealing the electric tools."

Ganipa Akaev also told rights defenders that a protocol was drawn up against him "that he had committed illegal acts while in intoxicated state," and that during his detention "he had resisted the policemen, who had to use force." "Then, at about 9:00 p.m., he was taken home and warned that if he complained about policemen's actions, drugs would be planted on him; he would be accused of drug dealing and imprisoned. On the following day, February 11, Akaev addressed the republic's traumatic-orthopaedic centre," says the release of the HRC.

The doctor fixed "numerous bruises and abrasions of the chest, lumbar area, right- and left-hand shoulders, and extensive haematomas" on Akaev's body, says the HRC "Memorial".

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.