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Boris Nemtsov murder in Moscow

Putin informed that Nemtsov murder suspects could have been tortured — human rights chief

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been informed of the results of human rights activists' visit to detention center saying Nemtsov murder suspects could have been tortured

© Mikhail Pochuyev/TASS

MOSCOW, March 12. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has been informed about the visit by human rights activists to the detainees suspected of murdering Russian oppositionist Boris Nemtsov, chairman of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights Mikhail Fedotov told a news conference in Moscow on Thursday.

According to Fedotov, the president has been informed of the results of the visit by members of the Civic Supervisory Commission Andrey Babushkin and Eva Merkacheva to a pre-trial detention centre in Moscow, where they met several detainees held there.

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Fedotov also drew attention to the fact that Babushkin’s report on visiting the Lefortovo prison referred not only to a meeting with the suspects in Nemtsov’s murder, but also to a visit to detained Sakhalin governor Alexander Khoroshavin.

Babushkin’s statement posted on the website of the Council for Civil Society and Human Rights says the suspects in Nemtsov’s murder could be tortured, asking the Prosecutor-General’s Office and the Investigative Committee to verify this information.

"There’re substantial grounds to believe that Zaur Dadayev, Anzor Gubashev and Shagid Gubashev have been subjected to torture," the statement says. Babushkin also asked the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service to "ensure the safety" of the detainees.

The appeal came after Babushkin visited the suspects in custody on Tuesday. He said Dadayev had numerous bodily injuries, while Anzor Gubashev had scratch marks on the nasal bridge, wrists and legs. "These bodily injuries were sustained after his detention," Babushkin said.

"We do not assert that they were subjected to torture. Further investigation is needed. They could sustain some of the injuries during their detention, but it’s difficult to imagine how one’s toes could be damaged during one’s detention," Babushkin told TASS.

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