The death of a man detained by security forces in Novoshakhtinsk has alarmed human rights activists.

Investigators need to look into the possibility of security forces' involvement in the death of a detained Novoshakhtinsk resident, human rights activists have indicated. The police statement that the man resisted arrest contradicted the information provided by the deceased's acquaintance.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on January 15, it was reported that a man detained on suspicion of robbery died at a Novoshakhtinsk police station. An acquaintance reported multiple injuries on the deceased's body. Police reported that physical force and handcuffs were used against the man during his arrest because he resisted. The investigation has reported its review of the incident.

The deceased's name was Alexey; he had recently turned 35, a family friend of the deceased told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. "We were celebrating with friends. He served 12 years under Article 105 of the Russian Criminal Code 1 . After his release, he led an exemplary life, worked in construction, worked part-time at various jobs, supported his family, and prepared for the birth of his child," she said.

He behaved calmly and did not resist. He was simply surprised.

According to her, the man did not resist arrest. "As I was told, during identification, they saw bruises on his arms, neck, face, and head. He spent 5-6 hours at the police station. He was detained at home; he behaved calmly and did not resist. He was simply surprised that they wanted to detain him," she said. She.

An officer on duty at the Novoshakhtinsk police station told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that this is the first death of a detainee in their station. "This is the first time a person has died here. A procedural investigation is underway. Wait until it's completed and you'll find out everything," he said.

Alexei's case needs to be thoroughly investigated, said Sergei Babinets, head of the "Team Against Torture" (an organization included in the register of foreign agents).

"In my experience, I've encountered cases where police officers responded to calls about domestic violence and took the offenders to the police station. For example, Orenburg resident Andrei Bishev was taken from his home after an argument with his mother and brought to the police station with multiple injuries. The next morning, an ambulance was called for Andrei. At the hospital, he was diagnosed with multiple injuries, including ruptured internal organs. Andrey was saved. A criminal case was opened. During the investigation, the police officer claimed he hadn't laid a finger on Andrey, but the court established that the officer had driven Andrey outside the village and brutally beat him. The perpetrator was sentenced to imprisonment. There are many similar stories, so Alexei's case also needs to be thoroughly investigated and the events reconstructed," he told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The human rights activist emphasized that "it is certainly impossible to baselessly accuse the police of his death." "Yes, the plots are similar. Only the Investigative Committee can investigate cases of abuse of power with the use of violence/torture (Part 3 and Part 4 of Article 286 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) committed by police officers. Only a prompt, thorough, independent, and open investigation will be effective. The police station should have CCTV cameras, as should the police car. The recordings should capture everything that happened to Alexei and the manipulations the police performed on him," he noted.

Evidence and clues have a tendency to disappear, events forget himself

Babinets also added that the first weeks of the investigators' work will show whether they are determined to get to the bottom of the case or just let it slide.

"The results of the autopsy and forensic examination will reveal the cause of death, the presence of antemortem injuries, and how long ago they occurred. Witness testimony, particularly that of the woman who called the police, will also be important. Witness testimony will help us understand how Alexey behaved before his arrest, in his interactions with the police, whether he had any injuries, health complaints, and so on. As you can see, there's a lot of work to do, but this is only a small part of what needs to be done. Evidence and clues tend to disappear, and events are forgotten, so the investigator needs to conduct the investigation as quickly as possible," he emphasized.

Video cameras in police stations are often turned off at the most crucial times. moment

A local human rights activist, who asked that his name not be published, also noted the importance of the investigators' work. "If they make the right decisions and respond quickly, then the camera recordings alone can provide answers to all questions. But, unfortunately, the cameras in police stations are often turned off at the most crucial moment, or some malfunction in the surveillance cameras is recorded, or other reasons are detected. More often than not, the recordings simply disappear, and this, as a rule, indicates that security forces may be responsible for the citizen's death," he told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

He recalled that there are also known cases of detainees dying due to the fault of security forces, and this involuntarily "suggests that not everything is so simple here either." "There is too little information yet to draw any definitive conclusions, but we also cannot rule out the police's guilt in Alexei's death. "The investigation must provide answers to these questions," the human rights activist said.

Police officers in the North Caucasus and Southern Federal Districts have repeatedly been accused of the deaths of detainees.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported on other cases of deaths in custody by security forces in southern Russia. In several cases, police officers were accused of involvement in the deaths. For example, on July 9, 2024, Akhmed Dzhabrailov, a member of the Akhmat special forces unit, died in the Sovietsky District Police Department of Makhachkala after being detained for disturbing the peace. According to investigators, Dzhabrailov was beaten and tasered.

Forensic experts concluded that Dzhabrailov died of asphyxiation. The commander of the patrol and security service regiment and two officers have been arrested in connection with his death. Defense proclaims the innocence of the accused.

In January 2023, Makhachkala resident Kurban Dalgatov died after being detained at the same police station. The man sustained injuries before his death, the Ministry of Internal Affairs acknowledged. Thirteen police officers were accused of abuse of power, but none of them pleaded guilty. On December 9, 2024, the court sentenced police officer Islam Atavov to 7.5 years in prison, finding him guilty in Dalgatov's death.

In Krasnodar, a police officer has been charged in the death of Ilya Afrosin, who told relatives after his arrest in the summer of 2021 that he had been tortured. Afrosin was found on the steps of a store; he died in an ambulance. According to the death certificate, he died of a spleen injury.

The death of Vladimir Tsakaev, a Vladikavkaz resident who died in police custody in 2015, sparked significant public outcry, including street protests. The court found police officers guilty of Tsakaev's death. More details can be found in the Caucasian Knot report "Tsakaev Case: Death After Police Interrogation".