Experts of Autonomous Non-commercial Organization “Forensic Examinations and Research Center” prepared a conclusion based on the results of the complex examination of Vener Mardamshin from Neftekamsk who applied to the Committee for the Prevention of Tortures three weeks ago for legal assistance reporting on severe abuse he had suffered at the local police department. Experts established that his health had been grievously impaired, and there were signs of metalizing process on his body typical of electric injuries.
Let us remind you that three weeks ago Vener Mardamshin applied to the Committee for the Prevention of Tortures for legal assistance. He said that on 10 November this year he was captured by four men; they handcuffed his hands, put a plastic bag on his head, pushed into the car and drove him away in the unknown direction. According to Vener, it turned out later that those were the policemen who took him to the local police department. After that they started beating him using truncheons and an electric shocker forcing him to confess to kidnapping of a woman. But the policemen’s attempts to obtain a confession to the committed crime from Vener were unsuccessful and they released him after taking an explanatory statement from him where he stated that he had been drinking alcohol with friends and had no claims to the policemen.
According to Mardamshin, an acquaintance of his helped him to get home. Vener’s wife called an ambulance, and the man was taken to the hospital in Neftekamsk, where he was receiving treatment until 21 November, and then was transferred to the hospital of Ufa.
Totally, Mardamshin spent twenty seven days receiving hospital treatment. The doctors of Neftekamsk hospital registered the following diagnosis in the discharge summary of the sick person: “Concomitant injury, closed craniocerebral injury. Brain concussion. Concussion of cervical vertebrae. Closed compression fracture of the body of vertebra L1. Closed (old?) fracture of L1 spine vertebra on the right. Concussion of the left side of the pelvis. Both kidneys contusion. Gross hematuria. Numerous concussions, bruises, scratch marks and pinpoint wounds of the soft tissues of the head, body, upper and lower limbs. Post-traumatic ischemic neuropathy of radial nerve of the left forearm. Post-traumatic ischemic neuropathy of the fibular nerve of the left lower leg.”
On 12 November Gulnaz Mardamshina (Vener’s wife) applied to Neftekamsk inter-regional investigation department of Investigation Division of Investigation Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Bashkortostan with a crime report. A month later investigator of this department Andrey Nagornov made a resolution on initiating a criminal case based on the signs of the crime under the items “a, b” Part 3 Article 286 of the Criminal Code of the RF (“Abuse of office using violence and special means”).
When Vener was on medical rehabilitation receiving treatment at Orenburg health resort “Stroitel” policemen from Neftekamsk came there on 20 December. Mardamshin was arrested on suspicion of committing a number of crimes dated 12 November of the previous year within the framework of investigating the criminal case which has been suspended until recently.
As it turned out in the course of the proceedings of preliminary investigation conducted by the investigating group, the report of the criminal investigation department special agents dated 16 December this year (four days after initiating a criminal case upon the fact of the tortures) stating that Mardamshin was involved in perpetration of the investigated crimes became the reason for reopening this criminal case and arrest of Mardamshin.
On 21 December judge of Neftekamsk city court of the Republic of Bashkortostan Kuchura announced a verdict on restraining Mardamshin in the form of detention for two months; Mardamshin was charged with committing crimes under Part 3 Article 162 of the Criminal Code of the RF (“Robbery”) and items “a, c” Part 2 Article 166 of the Criminal Code of the RF (“Joyriding”).
In their turn, the human rights defenders organized a complex medical and chemical examination of Vener Mardamshin which was conducted by the experts of Autonomous Non-commercial Organization “Forensic Examinations and Research Center.”
In their conclusion the experts of the Center pointed out, in particular, the following:
– “It was established that Mardamshin V.R. had the following injuries: closed craniocerebral injury, brain concussion. Concussion of cervical vertebrae. Closed compression fracture of the body of vertebra L1 (first lumbar vertebra). Concussion of the left side of the pelvis. Both kidneys contusion. Numerous concussions, bruises, scratch marks and pinpoint wounds of the soft tissues of the head, body, upper and lower limbs. Lower limbs crush syndrome with the development of acute kidney failure. Post-traumatic neuropathy of radial nerve on the left, post-traumatic neuropathy of the fibular nerve on the left;”
– “Closed compression fracture of the body of vertebra L1 (first lumbar vertebra) was the result of forced (intense) bending of the lumbar spine with further fixation of the body in functionally disadvantageous position and victim’s staying in the position of maximum bending of lumbar spine for a long period of time. As a result the first lumbar vertebra turned out to be significantly compressed by neighboring vertebrae for a long time which caused a compression fracture, i.e. fracture due to the compression of the vertebra;”
– “Bodily injuries received by Mardamshin V.R. constituted a danger for the life of the victim;”
– “The bodily injuries caused grievous harm to his health;”
– “At the time of the examination Mardamshin V.R. had numerous injuries in the area of the front surface of his left thigh. These injuries are similar to those typical of “electric marks”. In the area of the bodily injuries on the skin and tissues of Mardamshin V.R. there are signs of metalizing process indicative of the material of the conductor;”
– “There is a link between the explanations of the victim and the nature of the injuries concerning the way of the trauma’s origin;”
– “Due to the nature of the injuries that Mardamshin V.R. has and taking into account their multiplicity, localization and seriousness, and also considering the long period of the traumatic impact, causing these injuries by himself is impossible.”
Lawyer of the Committee for the Prevention of Tortures Evgeny Litvinov representing the interests of Vener Mardamshin: “The conclusion made by the experts of Forensic Examinations and Research Center proves expressly Vener’s evidence about the nature of the injuries that he had received; besides, it established that the bodily injuries that he had received constituted a danger for his life and caused severe harm to his health. Certainly, we are going to request to include the results of this examination into the materials of the criminal case on the fact of tortures.”