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8 former Tatarstan policemen go on trial

They were charged under Article 286 of Russia's penal code /exceeding authority/ and Article 111, Part 4 /inflicting grave harm to health and manslaughter/

KAZAN, June 6 (Itar-Tass) - The Volga district court of Kazan on Thursday began preliminary hearing of the criminal case against former personnel of the Dalny police station. The hearing is held behind closed doors, spokeswoman for the court Lilia Khaibullina told Itar-Tass.

The defendants are eight former personnel of the Dalny police station. They were charged under Article 286 of Russia's penal code /exceeding authority/ and Article 111, Part 4 /inflicting grave harm to health and manslaughter/. They are deputy police station chief Almaz Vasilov, 25, criminal investigation department chief Ainur Rakhmatullin, 31, criminal police chief Fail Sabirzyanov, 26, and detectives Ramil Akhmetzyanov, 25, Ilnar Ibatullin, 24, Amir Sharafullin, 29, Alexander Fadeyev, 28, and Denis Vasilyev, 23.

Rakhmatullin, Sabirzyanov and Vasilov were noted for particularly cruelty, Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said on Thursday. Vasilov has committed the largest number of crimes.

"The police got so brazen because of impunity that in order to get evidence they used violence not only against the suspects, but also against witnesses and even victims, the spokesman said.

On March 9, 2012, Sergei Nazarov, 52, was brought to the Dalny police station for petty hooliganism. Police claimed the detainee was in a state of alcoholic intoxication and said they had called an ambulance after Nazarov complained of stomach ache. After a check, medics made a painkiller injection and suggested in-patient treatment, but the man declined hospitalization.

On March 10 afternoon, Nazarov complained about stomach ache again and this time, he was rushed to hospital. He was diagnosed with rectum rupture and died after surgery. Nazarov's relatives said he had not been drunk at the moment of detention and that just before surgery Nazarov told them that police had tortured him with a champagne bottle.

Investigative Committee chief Alexander Bastrykin ordered to set up a group of experienced investigators from the SK central office and the investigation department of the Republic of Tatarstan. They talked with citizens and took their statements claiming illegal actions by police. As a result of this work, 18 criminal cases were opened, which were pooled into one.

After the high-profile police violence incident, the Dalny police station was dissolved and all 87 personnel relieved of their duties. Tatarstan Interior Minister Asgat Safarov was fired.

In 2012, investigators in Tatarstan opened 117 criminal cases against police. Twenty-seven cases were sent to court.