ECtHR accepts complaint of Dagestani resident on torture

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has accepted the complaint of a Dagestan Biyarslan Akaev, who was sentenced to nine years in prison on charges of aiding militants. Akaev has stated in his complaint that he had slandered himself under torture.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on May 29, 2017, the case of Biyarslan Akaev, a resident of the Khasavyurt District, was sent to the court. According to investigators, he had helped a member of an illegal armed formation (IAF) and kept a pistol and a grenade.

Biyarslan Akaev lived with his wife and three young children in the village of Endirei, Khasavyurt District of Dagestan. On February 10, 2017, masked law enforcers detained Akaev at the exit from the village, said his advocate. According to Akaev, law enforcers forced him into a car, took him to the forest, roped him, beat him up and tortured him with an electric shocker.

According to Akaev, law enforcers demanded that he give information about a man suspected of involvement in militants. Under torture, he gave the necessary testimonies.

In May 2017, the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF) refused to open a criminal case against law enforcers, as they had declared their innocence, while Akaev had confessed to the crime.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on November 1, 2018 at 11:13 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.