Advocates report on torture of defendants in Kabardino-Balkaria

At the "Kabardino-Balkarian Human Rights Centre", advocates have reported on violations committed in the course of the investigation into the case against persons accused of involvement in illegal armed formations (IAFs).

According to investigators, in December 2013, three defendants were plotting an attack on a staff member of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA). Besides, the investigators suggest that in August 2014, the defendants intended to commit an armed attack on the building of the Nalchik administration, reported the public organization "Kabardino-Balkarian Regional Human Rights Centre" on its website on March 14.

Advocate Aralbek Dumanishev reports that when he came to the investigator as an assigned counsel, he saw the completed protocol of interrogation of defendant Shogenov, and it was supposed that he ought to "just sign it".

"I asked the investigator to leave me and Shogenov face to face, and the defendant told me that he had not committed anything of all the actions described in the protocol of interrogation. He was subjected to torture. And now they force him to sign the paper," the "Kabardino-Balkarian Regional Human Rights Centre" quotes the advocate as reporting.

According to Aralbek Dumanishev, the forensic examination concluded that the bruises on the defendant's legs "were likely caused by the effect of electric current."

"Shogenov directly names the persons involved in torturing. However, the investigating authorities do not want to institute a criminal case. Shogenov told me that they tortured not only him, but also all the other defendants," stated the advocate.

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