The case of Pavel Drozdov, deputy principal of Kazan Railway Transport community college, who died in Kazan «Yudino» Police Department, has attracted a lot of public attention. The file has at last been transferred to the department for investigating offenses committed by law enforcement agents, a new special unit in the structure of the Investigative Committee. The family of the deceased is represented by a lawyer working with Kazan Human Rights Center, Andrey Suchkov, and a lawyer of the INGO «Committee Against Torture» Dmitry Utukin.

(Photo: Pavel Drosdov, photo by operinform.ru)

Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for Volga Federal District (Nizhny Novgorod) is now in charge of pre-trial proceedings in the criminal case concerning so-called «swallow» torture in the «Yudino» Police Department of Kazan city. The investigative group in charge is headed by Vitaliy Zhilyaev, he is the head of the special department for investigating crimes committed by law enforcement agents.

Forensic experts in Izhevsk are now carrying out additional medical psychological autopsy. According to the «Openinform» agency, the relevant reports will ground further charges against the police officers.

Background

On 1 February 2012 Pavel Drozdov was taken to «Yudino» police department in Kazan and placed into a cell for administrative detainees. As so established by the investigation, five police officers entered the cell, then two of them twisted the man’s hands behind the back, and the third officer pushed Mr Drozdov so that the latter fell down.

The desk officer of the department confirmed that he had kicked the man on the right side of his torso, but denied it to be ill-treatment. The officer’s description of the kick may be translated as «cooling down» or «relaxing».

After that, using handcuffs, a trouser belt and a rope, the police officers tied the man in the «swallow» position (legs tied and pulled towards tied arms behind the back), and left him in the cell. In a while the man died in this position.

In September this year under public pressure the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee for the Republic of Tatarstan quashed previously delivered refusal to open criminal proceedings against the policemen.

Article 286 (6) of Russian Criminal Code (exceeding official powers with use of violence and special police means) provides for up to ten years of inprisonment.

Source: operinform.ru