НАСТОЯЩИЙ МАТЕРИАЛ (ИНФОРМАЦИЯ) ПРОИЗВЕДЕН, РАСПРОСТРАНЕН И (ИЛИ) НАПРАВЛЕН ИНОСТРАННЫМ АГЕНТОМ «КОМАНДА ПРОТИВ ПЫТОК» ЛИБО КАСАЕТСЯ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТИ ИНОСТРАННОГО АГЕНТА «КОМАНДА ПРОТИВ ПЫТОК» | 18+

On 1 August, the regional court agreed with the judgment of the Tsentralny district court of Orenburg, which acquitted police officers Yevgeny Strelkov, Aset Kulkushev and Danila Nikulshin. The men were previously accused of torturing 18-year-old Gennady Shvetsov in October 2021.

The lawyers of the Crew Against Torture, who represent Mr. Shvetsov’s interests in the courts, will still continue to work on this case.

«The regional court upheld the acquittal of the police officers. It is interesting how the judges would circumvent our arguments about the unlawfulness of the district court’s ruling — we will find out the judges’ reasons when the court provides the text in writing. In any event, we will examine the text and continue to work on the case. If necessary, we will follow the case to the Supreme Court.»

Gennady Shvetsov applied to the CAT in early October 2021. He explained that in the morning of the 4th of October unknown people came to his house, introducing themselves as police officers. The policemen took away Gennady’s mobile phone and did not let him call either his father or his attorney. Besides, the police didn’t voice any reasons for the arrest. Mr. Shvetsov was taken to the police station no. 2 of the Intermunicipal Department of Interior «Orenburgskoye» and only there he learned that he was suspected of phone theft. Mr. Shvetsov claimed that he had not stolen the relevant phone, but had received it from his acquaintance as a guarantee of returning the debt. As Gennady recalled, the policemen beat him and threatened to rape him.

 «While I was lying on the floor, the officers kicked me on the back. One of the policemen told me to undress. I refused to do it. Then he said he was going to penetrate inside me and would put me on a bottle,» – recalls Mr. Shvetsov.

The ill-treatment lasted the whole day. The young man was released only in the evening when his uncle and the attorney arrived at the police station. Mr. Shvetsov recalls that the policemen escorted him to the exit door, saying that «there’s been a mistake». Later, the forensic expert found multiple abrasions and bruises on Gennady’s body.