Case on Chechen resident's beating by OMON fighters re-opened

Today, the Interregional Public Organization "Committee against Torture" reported on re-opening of the criminal case on the beating of Alikhan Akhmedov by Chechen OMON (riot police) fighters.

On December 21, 2011, the lawyers from the "Committee against Torture" filed an appeal to the Deputy General Prosecutor of the Russian Federation in the North-Caucasian Federal District (NCFD) against a decision to suspend the preliminary investigation.

According to the organization, on November 10, 2011, the lawyers of the Consolidated mobile group (consisting of three persons who work in shifts (on a rotational basis) in the republic for one month, - note of the "Caucasian Knot") of the "Committee against Torture" were contacted by Alikhan Akhmedov, a resident of Grozny, who asked to provide him with legal assistance on the fact of his beating in November 2007 by Chechen OMON fighters.

According to Alikhan Akhmedov, in September 2004, he worked at the criminal investigation office of the city of Grozny. In November 2007, in the course of the investigation into the murder of the militiaman Khataev, Said-Emin Mazaev, the Chechen OMON fighter, was detained as a suspect. Later, Alikhan Akhmedov learned that the investigator, who considered the Mazaev's case, let him go. "Akhmedov and his colleague Imran Arsamerzuev were detained and then brought to the base of the Chechen OMON, where they were tortured for a long time," states the message of the "Committee against Torture".

"Later, Alikhan Akhmedov, Imran Arsamerzuev and their colleague were conditionally sentenced on the fact of the unlawful use of violence against Said-Emin Mazaev. On October 11, 2008, the investigator announced the decision on the suspension of the preliminary investigation into the criminal case on physical violence against Akhmedov and Arsamerzuev committed by unidentified OMON fighter," states the organization's release.