POC sees no Novocherkassk police's guilt in detainee's death

Employees of the special detention centre of Novocherkassk, where a detainee died, acted professionally, said the members of the Public Oversight Commission (POC). At the same time, as they noted, the ambulance arrived at the centre only 20 minutes after it was called.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on July 27 38-year-old detainee died in the special detention centre of Novocherkassk.

On July 31, the above centre was visited by Yuri Blokhin, the Deputy Chairman of the POC of the Rostov Region, and Oleg Polikarpov, a POC member.

"It turned out that the detainee was taken to a detention centre under Article 20.25 of the Russian Administrative Code: 'Evasion from execution of administrative punishment'. Initially, the staff of the centre did not accept him, but sent to doctors of the narcology dispensary, as felt small of alcohol from the detainee. He was on the following day after drinking a lot," said Blokhin.

Mr Blokhin has added that doctor certified to policemen that the detainee needed no hospitalization, and for health reasons could be kept at the detention centre.

He also stressed that members of the POC had no claims against the staff of the centre.

The investigating authorities are studying the circumstances of the incident, said the press service of the ICRF for the Rostov Region.

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