Photo: Elena Kovalenko – mother of Alexey Kovalenko who was abused by the police.

The perpetrator is still out of prison, because the Investigation Department of Mordovia “has failed” to identify the officer responsible for Alexey Kovalenko’s battery in 2007.   

   Today lawyers of the Interregional Committee against Torture conducting a public investigation under the application of Alexey Kovalenko (Ruzayevka, Mordovia) battered by the police have learnt that the case is again submitted for investigation to the police. Earlier the Mordovian police already “tried” to investigate the case and even identified the “suspect” who had allegedly struck Alexey. However, that police officer was later acquitted by the Mordovian Supreme Court.

Although all witnesses point to another person – still working in the Ministry of the Interior – the Investigation Committee could not “find” corpus delicti in his actions. The Investigation Administration of the Investigation Committee for the Republic of Mordovia and the Prosecutor’s office cannot influence the situation either. Dismissal and deprivation of bonuses, as it has happened to deputy interdistrict prosecutor A.P. Rodnin and prosecutor’s assistant Y.G. Fedotov do not give a positive result.

It is quite clear right now how the Ruzayevka police is going to “investigate” this case, if we take into account that witnesses are pointing to the person who is currently employed in the same department.  

In this context the Interregional Committee against Torture is forced to apply to the Investigation Committee once again and ask higher-standing officials to make the investigator solve the crime. We can only hope that the case of battery by a worker of the Ministry of the Interior will be finally dealt with on the domestic level, and police abuse victim Alexey Kovalenko will not have to apply to the European Court of Human Rights.

Press-service

Of the Interregional Committee against Torture