Photo: Alexey Yakimov.

    Today Alexey Yakimov who at night on 5 April 2009 was unlawfully detained and taken to the Nizhegorodsky district Directorate of the Interior where he was tortured on an improvised rack for several hours has been officially granted the status of victim.  

After Mr. Yakimov applied to the Interregional Committee against Torture and Internal Security Service of the Directorate of the Interior for Nizhny Novgorod region, the Investigation Committee had to start criminal proceedings on the allegations of battery.  

Today Viktor Krylov, investigator of the Nizhegorodsky district Investigation Department, officially acknowledged Mr. Yakimov victim and interrogated him in that capacity. In course of interrogation Mr. Yakimov described the events of that April night.  

Alexey Yakimov’s interests are represented by lawyer Yuriy Sidorov from the Committee against Torture. Soon investigation will be continued. In particular, the few witnesses will be questioned, and other investigative actions will be conducted in order to disclose the crime and reveal the perpetrators.