The Investigation Committee does not care for the rights and legal interests of 17 victims.

   The Vyksa Interdistrict Investigation Department under the Prosecutor’s Office checking the allegations of 17 detainees claiming police abuse on 11 October 2009 in the pre-trial detention centre of the Vyksa Department of Internal Affairs has once again refused to open a criminal case.

The investigator has concluded that on 11 October 2009 the detainees on remand were using obscene language, threatened the police with bodily harm using metal rods. The detainees made through holes in the walls of their cells which are now sealed with cement. Therefore the police had to use special tools and force in order to withdraw the rods and angle bars.

INGO “Committee against Torture” finds this decision unlawful and ill-founded.

The investigator has not questioned all of the detainees subjected to the beatings and other people present in the pre-trial detention centre of the Vyksa Department of Internal Affairs on 11 October 2009, as well as some police officers, although this is exactly the reason why the previous refusal to open a criminal case was cancelled by the head of the Vyksa Interdistrict Investigation Department. Besides, the investigator has failed to send the alleged victims for a forensic-medical examination.

He has not questioned people kept in the detention centre before the incident in order to find out whether there were any holes in the walls.

It should also be mentioned that the investigator has paid attention to the discrepancies and inaccuracies in the victims’ statements, but ignored the same things in the police officers’ statements.

We are going to appeal against the abovementioned refusal to start a criminal case in the nearest future. We hope that an additional check will be conducted more thoroughly and the perpetrators will be held responsible.