KBR resident complains about torture and falsification of proofs

Ruslan Kasheshov, an entrepreneur from the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR), has stated that he had confessed to the illegal dealing with explosives, drugs and complicity with the IS ("Islamic State", a terrorist organization, banned in Russia by the court) under torture.

According to Ruslan Kasheshov, a co-owner of a bar in the KBR, when his car was stopped on June 22, 2018, in Nalchik, a grenade and a package with drugs were planted on him; then, he was tortured to force him to confess to assisting the IS, the press service of Human Rights Centre (NRC) "Memorial" has reported today.

On June 24, 2018, Kasheshov was arrested and charged under the articles of "Illegal dealing with explosives and drugs", "Aiding the activities of a terrorist organization" and "Creating or participating in an illegal armed formation (IAF)". Kasheshov himself refused to plead guilty, and also refused from his confessions given under torture, the report says.

Ruslan Kasheshov also claims that the charges against him are based on the testimony of some secret witness. He has accidentally found out the real data of the witnesses and claims that he "had never seen this man," the press service of the HRC "Memorial" has reported.

The Kasheshov's case files contain two interrogation protocols of the secret witness. The handwriting examination of them has confirmed that the witness's signatures had been made by different persons, rights defenders assert. On June 28, 2019, Kasheshov filed a statement about the falsification of the proofs in his case.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on July 29, 2019 at 05:02 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.