Advocate tries to stop criminal case against Mamedyarov tortured in Dagestan

Bakanai Guseinova, advocate of Nariman Mamedyarov, plans to strain her efforts to completely stop criminal prosecution of her client. Mr Mamedyarov himself will have to undergo surgery on his arm broken by power agents. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was informed about it by Ms Guseinova.

The Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" reports that Mamedyarov, Nariman Feizulakhovich, born in 1975, "disappeared" in Makhachkala on his way home on September 25 last year. The praying Moslem was going to break his fast at home, since those were the final days of the Moslem fasting. However, his wife never saw him back; and on October 1, she addressed the human rights organization "Mothers of Dagestan" with an application about the disappearance.

Mr Mamedyarov was charged under Articles 222 ("Illegal storage of arms") and 317 ("Encroachment on life of employee of law enforcement body") of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. However human rights activists are convinced of his innocence and an attempt to fabricate a criminal case against the detainee. In was only through intervention of Russian Ombudsman Vladimir Lukin that the Republic's law enforcers "managed to find him" in the Buinaksk ROVD (District Militia) where he was beaten. On February 4, Mamedyarov was released from custody against recognizance not to leave.

"I hoped they'd stop his criminal prosecution completely. However, Mamedyarov was released only against recognizance not to leave, and not all the articles were lifted. Charges on Article 222, part 1, 'Transportation and storage of arms' remain. I'll appeal against this indictment, since it's obvious they have no evidences under this article against Mamedyarov, same as it was with all other articles," said Ms Guseinova.

"He was accused of being a member of Vadim Butdaev's bandit grouping, of taking part in terror acts, however, afterwards these charges were cancelled - they had no proofs," the advocate has added.

Bakanai Guseinova continued: "After intervention of 'Memorial', they stopped physical violence on Mamedyarov. Today, he feels not bad. However, his broken arm has recovered incorrectly, because he was not rendered medical aid in due time."