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28 Tatarstan residents complain about police in 24 hours

A group of experts from the SK central office continues the work to expose the crimes committed by police in Kazan
Photo ITAR-TASS
Photo ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, March 20 (Itar-Tass) — Investigators are checking several dozen statements from Tatarstan residents about illegal action by police in Kazan, following the beginning of the probe into the death of Sergei Nazarov, who died in hospital on March 11 after he had been questioned at the "Dalny" police station.

"In the past 24 hours, 28 reports from citizens have come in about illegal actions by Kazan police," spokesman for the Investigative Committee /SK/ Vladimir Markin told Itar-Tass, adding that "all these reports are being checked."

A group of experts from the SK central office continues the work to expose the crimes committed by police in Kazan.

A number of investigative actions have been carried out with respect to "Dalny" police officers, Markin noted.

During these investigative actions, chief of the criminal investigation department of the "Dalny" police station Ainur Rakhmatullin, 31, and special detective Amir Sharifullin, 29 of the same department were arrested.

Rakhmatullin and Sharifullin were charged with exceeding their authority by using violence and special means /Article 286 of Russia’s Criminal Code/.

The investigators believe they committed actions obviously beyond the limit of their authority, by illegally using force against Oskar Krylov, who had been brought to the "Dalny" police station in October 2011.

"The investigators have requested a court to sanction custody as the measure of restraint for these policemen," Markin added.

The SK chairman will hear a report about the result of the work by the SK commission in the course of his working trip to Kazan on Wednesday, according to the spokesman.

Meanwhile, rights activists said Rakhamtullin and Sharifullin had been questioned during an identification lineup.

The police claimed they had seen Krylov swearing on October 27 and brought him to the "Dalny" police station. The young man then allegedly confessed to a theft in a written statement.

Krylov said the police had beaten him up and humiliated him using a pencil and a bottle.

The "Dalny" police station in Kazan came into the limelight when a detainee died after being questioned by police. The victim was identified as Sergei Nazarov. He was hospitalized with rectum rupture from the police station and died after surgery.

Nazarov's relatives claimed he said before surgery that police had tortured him with a champagne bottle.

Five police officers, suspected of torturing the man, have been relieved of their duties and detained.

A number of Kazan residents reported similar cases of police violence after the incident.