Rights defenders challenge refusal to investigate torture of Nalchik resident

Investigators explain the decision to suspend the case on torture of Rustam Kuchmenov, a resident of Nalchik, by the fact that a suspected law enforcers cannot participate in a criminal case. Representatives of Rustam Kuchmenov found the above decision "strange" and challenged it in court, the Committee against Torture (CaT) reports today.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in December 2017, Rustam Kuchmenov, a resident of Nalchik, appealed to rights defenders with a complaint about torture after his detention. He identified five law enforcers, but none of them was removed from office.

At a court hearing held on January 24, lawyers of the CaT learned about the suspension of the investigation into the criminal case against the head of a law enforcement unit suspected of torturing Rustam Kuchmenov.

The CaT published a copy of the investigator's ruling. According to the document dated January 17, the investigation was suspended "in connection with the establishment of the suspect's whereabouts, but his almost impossible participation in the criminal case."

"Yesterday, on January 28, 2019, representatives of Rustam Kuchmenov filed an appeal to the City Court of Nalchik to challenge the decision on suspension of the criminal case. Besides, the rights defenders intend to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in the nearest future," states the CaT in its press release.

Dmitry Piskunov, a lawyer from the CaT, believes the reason for which the investigator suspended the case "looks extremely strange."

"In his resolution, the investigator openly writes that he knows where the suspect stays. However, for some unknown reason, the investigators comes to the conclusion that it is 'actually impossible' for the suspect to participate in the criminal case," said Dmitry Piskunov as quoted by the CaT's website.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on January 29, 2019 at 02:17 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.