Today there was a preliminary hearing under the criminal case against junior operational investigator Veener Bikmukhametov from the Demskiy district Department of Internal Affairs of Ufa. Since the defendant’s lawyer did not show up either at this hearing or the previous one, and due to the circumstances of the case the court decided that Veener Bikmukhametov was intentionally delaying the proceedings. The prosecution filed a motion to change the measure of restraint from bail to pre-trial detention. The court sustained the motion. The officer was arrested in the courtroom.

You may remember that seven months ago Veener Bikmukhametov, being on duty in the Demskiy district Department of Internal Affairs of Ufa, abused Samat Yantuganov and Sergey Nikonorov. He is indicted under cl. “a”, p.3, art. 286 of the RF Criminal Code (abuse of office with violent treatment).

INGO “Committee against Torture” conducted a public investigation under this case and provided a lawyer to the victims.

The next hearing is scheduled for May 5 at 10 a.m. in the Demskiy district court of Ufa.