All news

Investigation Committee not find evidence for kidnapping, tortures against Razvozzhayev

Criminal case over these allegations was denied to be opened
Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS
Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, November 22 (Itar-Tass) — The Russian Investigation Committee did not find any evidence, which proves the kidnapping of Leonid Razvozzhayev and the tortures against him, so, a criminal case over these allegations was denied to be opened, spokesman for the Russian Investigation Committee Vladimir Markin told Itar-Tass on Thursday.

“The main investigation department of the Russian Investigation Committee has conducted a detailed inquiry in the news report, which was distributed by the mass media and is contained in a plea by Leonid Razvozzhayev, over his kidnapping and tortures. During the inquiry the facts that gave grounds for the inquiry were not found for their unbiased confirmation, subsequently the investigation bodies decided to refuse to open a criminal case,” Markin underlined.

He explained that this decision was taken upon the results of the examination of the materials gathered in the investigation. “In particular, apart from his oral testimony Razvozzhayev failed to produce any documental or material evidence for a crime committed against him,” the spokesman said, noting that Razvozzhayev refused to confirm his testimony with the use of the polygraph.

“Meanwhile, several witnesses were interrogated, their testimony proved completely the false information about kidnapping and tortures that were made public in the media and were contained in Razvozzhayev’s testimony. The fact of Razvozzhayev’s voluntary comeback to Russia from Ukraine on October 19, when he was allegedly kidnapped, is confirmed by the border control mark in his foreign travel passport,” Markin said.

“The medical examination, which was made right after Razvozzhayev’s detention, did not find any traces of the use of physical violence against him,” Markin noted.

“Meanwhile, during the investigation the fact of the illegal transgression of the Russian state border by Razvozzhayev was proved. Razvozzhayev confirmed to the detectives that he transgressed illegally the border, misusing the passport of his brother on October 16,” Markin remarked.

“On the instructions of the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office the Investigation Committee launched a pre-investigation inquiry, upon the result of which a procedural decision will be taken,” he said.

The criminal case was opened against Leonid Razvozzhayev, who was an aide to State Duma deputy Ilya Ponomarev, for masterminding massive disorders. The defendants in this criminal case are also Left Front leader Sergei Udaltsov and his accomplice Konstantin Lebedev.

The criminal case was caused by the inquiry in the facts, which are laid down in the documentary Anatomy of Protest-2. The detectives found that a meeting between the oppositionists and chairman of the Georgian parliamentary committee for defence and security Givi Targamadze and the discussion on masterminding massive disorders in Russia with the funding from abroad are showed in the documentary.

Under this criminal case Udaltsov was put on recognizance not to leave the city, Lebedev and Razvozzhayev were arrested. All these three defendants faced accusations that envisage up to five years in prison.

Meanwhile, Razvozzhayev is accused of banditry, which was committed in Angarsk in 1997. However, then the investigation in the criminal case was not finalized. The detectives found that on December 4, 1997, he together with the accomplices, who were armed with a hunting rifle and two pistols, broke in the flat of a businessman, tied him up with duct tape, and then beating and threatening him with the guns demanded that he should give his property to them. According to the criminal case files, Razvozzhayev and his accomplices have stolen a video camera and 500 fur hats from the flat, inflicting 95 millions of non-denominated roubles of damages.