On 2 August 2007 the Tuymazy District Court (the Republic of Bashkortostan) brought in the decision concerning the criminal case against two policemen of the Tuymazy District police station (GROVD) Mr. A. Gabdrakhmanov and F. Farrakhov and also against a former general director of a local livestock breeding farm (JSC “PZ Tuymazinsky”) Mr.  A. Zakirov.

    Federal judge of the Tuymazy District Court R. Galiullina acquitted policemen Gabdrakhmanov and Farrakhov of all charges. Mr. A. Zakirov was sentenced to 1 year and 1 month imprisonment on probation.  

    The policemen had been accused of the abuse of powers associated with the use of violence (Articles 285, 286 of the Criminal Code) and official forgery (Article 292 of the Code). Mr. Zakirov was accused of arbitrariness (Article 330 of the Code). As a result of their unlawful actions 6 individuals, including two minors, and a legal entity (LLC “Nikitinka”) have become victims.

    You may remember that the policemen were accused that on 19 August 2005, knowing that Mr. Zakirov was arbitrary seizing 165 heads of cattle belonging to LLC “Nikitinka”, did not stop him but on the contrary assisted him. They used physical force against two minor persons who were trying to prevent the property of the livestock farm from being seized. One of the minors was Ruslan Tangaev, a local schoolboy whose parents applied for help to the regional office of the Committee in the Republic of Bashkortostan. Lawyers of the Committee carried out a public investigation into the incident and managed to have a criminal case against the policemen opened. Ruslan and his relatives also got medical and legal aid.

    At present experts of the office are drafting an appeal against the court’s decision, because we believe that in the course of the pretrial investigation enough evidence proving the guilt of the policemen was collected.

    Head of the regional office of the INGO Committee Against Torture in the Republic of Bashkortostan Vladislav Sadykov is going to protect the rights and lawful interests of the Tangaev family in the future.