KAZAN, September 25 (Itar-Tass) — Kazan’s Privolzhsky District Court on Tuesday is to deliver the first sentence in a criminal case of former employees of the Dalny police precinct - Ilshat Garifullin and Ramil Nigmatzyanov.
The court press service told Itar-Tass that the oral arguments in this criminal case were heard in the court on Monday. Defence lawyer of Garifullin asked the court to find the defendant guilty under Article 286 of the RF Criminal Code, but during sentencing take into account his positive characteristics and merits that he obtained during his service in the police. He also asked to take into account the fact that the defendant has a young child. “I think that Garifullin can be given a non-custodial sentence,” the lawyer said.
Nigmatzyanov’s lawyer asked to acquit his client, because his deeds “do not constitute a criminal offense.”
The witness of Sergei Nazarov who died from torture in the precinct, his brother Igor Nazarov maintained his claim - to collect from each of the defendants a fine of 500 thousand roubles.
“The guilt of the two defendants has been proven,” the public prosecutor said, in turn. He asked the court to sentence Garifullin to 3 years and 6 months’ in a penal colony settlement, Nigmatzyanov - to sentence to three years in a penal colony settlement. The prosecutor requested to satisfy Nazarov’s suit partially and recover from the defendants 300 thousand roubles each.
The trial of the former district police officers began on September 3, 2012, they were charged with abuse of office and forgery.
The Dalny police precinct became notorious in early March, when detainee Sergei Nazarov died after being tortured by police. Nine policemen were arrested on suspicion of involvement in the crime. All of them were later relieved of their duties. The police department was renamed, and all the 87 staff had to undergo an early performance review.
After the incident, the Interior Ministry launched sweeping checks across Tatarstan. Forty-three criminal cases were opened against former and incumbent police officers from the Esperanto, Gagarinsky, Yapeyevo and Voskhod departments, as well as against investigators from Kazan, Almetyevsk, Nizhnekamsk and Naberzhnye Chelny.
Earlier, the Russian Investigative Committee (SK) said that “given the public outcry after the Dalny police department incident, (SK chairman) Alexander Bastrykin sent a group of experienced investigators to Kazan led by the senior investigator for special cases.”
At present, according to the SK Investigation department in Tatarstan, the investigation of criminal cases against nine former employees of the Dalny police precinct who are charged with abuse of office has been completed. Seven of them were taken into custody, two are currently house arrest. All of them are awaiting trial.