Two members of Kurmanch community beaten by law enforcers in Krasnodar Territory

Rashid Gurzhiev and Anatoly Dursunov, members of the Kurmanch community, were beaten by employees of law enforcement bodies of the Krasnodar Territory. Hasan Gurdji, chairman of the community, has informed the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent about it.

According to Mr Gurdji, the incident took place at 4:00 p.m. on May 16 in Khadyzhensk, where militiamen tried to plant drugs into Rashid Gurzhiev's car.

"Persons in civil clothes sat into their car, planted a package with drugs into Rashid's pocket, and tried to force the guys to work on them," Hasan Gurdji told later. "They gave money to Rashid and asked him to visit the crack house as a buyer of drugs. Then, they asked to rehearse a number of phrases. Rashid began to repeat the phrases, and militiamen recorded them to a dictaphone. Other employees soon drove up and started beating Rashid and Anatoly."

On May 17, the lady-judge passed a ruling to detain Rashid Gurzhiev for three day, and Anatoly Dursunov - for five day. After that, it became known that Rashid Gurzhiev had his kidneys beaten off, and Anatoly Dursunov was even in a graver condition, as Mr Gurdji said.

According to Hasan Gurdji, now Rashid Gurzhiev is hospitalized into surgery ward of the Central District Hospital of the city of Apsheronsk. On demand of Hasan Gurdji, Anatoly Dursunov was also brought to hospital for examination from the SIZO (pre-trial prison).

"When Dursunov was brought there, doctors received strange telephone calls," Mr Gurdji said, "therefore, the doctors conducted a five-minute survey instead of examination and refused to hospitalize Dursunov."

So far, it was not possible to contact Rashid Gurzhiev or the Central District Hospital of Apsheronsk.

Meanwhile, Alexander Rudich, head of the press service of the Department of the State Committee for Drug Monitoring ("Gosnarkokontrol") for the Krasnodar Territory, thinks that Gurzhiev and Dursunov, telling about an attempt to plant drugs on them, try to escape responsibility.

"Rashid Gurzhiev and one more young man were traced for many weeks. We have documented several facts of selling drugs by this couple," Alexander Rudich said. "At detention, the young men put up resistance. Right after detention, they were examined by a doctor. A medical certificate was drawn up that they had no bruises, grazes, or brain concussions.

According to Alexander Rudich, a criminal case was opened under Article 228 "Sale of narcotic substances". As he said, the collected evidences are rather essential, and the detainees are under a threat of up to 20 years of imprisonment.

Meanwhile, Hasan Gurdji, chairman of the Kurmanch community, asserts that the arrested persons have never taken any drugs.

The Kuban human rights activist Zinaida Kichigina is holding her own investigation of the incident.