Torture traces on Ravil Rasulov's body cast doubt on law enforcers' version about what caused his death

Ravil Rasulov, who died at the SIZO (pre-trial prison) in the Volgograd Region, could have been tortured, Igor Nagavkin, a human rights defender, has stated, adding that there were traces of beatings on Rasulov's body. Ravil's wife has also denied the version of his suicide.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Ravil Rasulov, a suspect in an extortion case, had committed suicide at the SIZO; his relatives demanded to punish those guilty of his death.

A few days prior to his death, Rasulov and five of his cellmates were forced to say to the video camera that they were abandoning the "thieves'" traditions and wanted to cooperate with the local branch of the Federal Penitentiary Service (know as FSIN), that is, to be informants about other SIZO inmates, Igor Nagavkin asserts. The inmates refused to do this; and they were threatened with transfer to another SIZO, where they could be tortured. To avoid the transfer, three inmates cut their bellies, and the rest of them cut their hands.

"They've killed a 22-year-old young man; he had killed or raped nobody; he was accused of extortion. His guilt has not been proved," Mr Nagavkin has stated.

Dmitry Karandashov, a lawyer, has noted that Rasulov had bodily injuries – torn mouth, as if a gag was being inserted, and traces of a stun gun on his hands.

Kristina Trifonova, Rasulov's common-law wife, has called the deceased "kind and fair," who never used physical violence to anyone.