Lawyers Assess Chances of Punishing Security Forces for Torturing Karachay-Cherkessia Resident

It is possible to hold security forces in Karachay-Cherkessia accountable for torturing a detainee, but the key argument should be the findings of a forensic expert.

As "Kavkazsky Uzel" wrote, in August it became known that 31-year-old resident of the village of Pregradnaya Sergei was detained after a fight with two young men and tortured in the department of the security agency. A doctor at the Urupskaya District Hospital recorded hematomas all over his body. The victim's family complained about the actions of the security forces to the Prosecutor General's Office and the Investigative Committee.

The story with the resident of Karachay-Cherkessia was commented on to the "Caucasian Knot" by lawyers Alexander Polchenko, Zaur Khurov and Timofey Shirokov, who are not involved in the case.

Alexander Polchenko, who defended the residents of Karachay-Cherkessia, believes that cases of torture in the republic are rare. As for the situation with Sergei, in his opinion, if the story is true, there is a chance to hold the security forces accountable.

"I have never had such cases in my legal practice. Often, the low level of qualification of operational officers and the pursuit of a quick solution to crimes lead to such events," Polchenko explained.

The main evidence should be a medical examination

Zaur Khurov, who also worked in Karachay-Cherkessia, confirmed that there is a chance to hold the security forces accountable. "But the main evidence should be a medical examination. It should have been conducted immediately after he was released. That is, he should have gone to a forensic expert as soon as he left them, so that he could record all the bodily injuries, how long ago they occurred, where they were located, and the severity of the injuries," Khurov noted.

Claims of torture rarely reach the court, Timofey Shirokov noted in turn. "Sometimes they immediately register it as a report of a crime, if everything is clear and absolutely precise. But, as a rule, they simply register the materials and send them for verification. Most often, it still does not reach the court. Even if there is a medical examination, if, in addition to it, everything is based only on the testimony of the victim. Only if something is out of the ordinary, for example, the person died. But if there are no serious bodily injuries, then they almost never proceed with the case," the lawyer shared his observations.

Sometimes, out of "love for art," they put pressure even in situations where all the evidence is available

According to the lawyer, security forces always put pressure on detainees ("put pressure"). "They always put pressure, especially on serious, especially serious crimes, always and everywhere, and regardless of whether it is the Karachay-Cherkess Republic or the Moscow Region. They don't put pressure when there is no need, there is a full evidence base. But sometimes, out of "love for art", they put pressure even in those situations when all the evidence is there," Shirokov said.

A local journalist, familiar with the realities of Karachay-Cherkessia, commented on the "Caucasian Knot" on the information about the security forces' mockery of Judaism on condition of anonymity. He expressed the opinion that there had been no manifestations of anti-Semitism in the North Caucasus before.

"I don't remember any anti-Semitic sentiments in the North Caucasus during the Soviet era. During the [Second World] War, Jews were hidden from the Germans... For example, in Nalchik, a Jewish colony, Mountain Jews, did not have time to evacuate. That's about a thousand people. And when the Germans started asking, the locals said that they were Tats - Dagestanis, Muslims, and didn't touch them. And no one turned them in, and they survived the occupation safely," the journalist said, finding it difficult to connect Sergei's case with the events in Palestine.

Recall that Karachay-Cherkessia was one of three republics in the North Caucasus Federal District where mass anti-Semitic actions took place in October 2023. Participants in a pro-Palestinian rally in Cherkessk demanded that local authorities not allow visitors and refugees from Israel into Karachay-Cherkessia and evict those already living in the republic. Police drafted administrative violation reports on 34 participants in the rally.

Anti-Semitic actions also took place in Dagestan and Kabardino-Balkaria. "Kavkazsky Uzel" prepared reports "Anti-Semitic actions in the North Caucasus: how it happened" and "A wave of anti-Semitic actions in the North Caucasus".