Tomorrow, on 27 December 2007 the Tuymazy District Court (the Republic of Bashkortostan) is to begin new legal proceedings  in the framework of the criminal case against two policemen of the Tuymazy district police station (GROVD) – Mr Gabdrakhmanov and Mr Farrakhov – and also against a former general director of a local livestock breeding farm (JSC “PZ Tuymazinsky”) Mr Zakirov.

    The policemen are accused of the abuse of powers associated with the use of violence (Articles 285, 286 of the Russian Criminal Code) and official forgery (Article 292 of the Code). Mr. Zakirov is 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 are 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 were also granted necessary medical and legal aid.

    After the pretrial investigation was over, in March 2006 the criminal case was referred to the Tuymazy District Court.

    On 2 August 2007 federal judge of the Tuymazy District Court Ms R.A. Galiullina acquitted policemen Gabdrakhmanov and Farrakhov of all charges. Mr A. Zakirov was sentenced to 1 year and 1 month of conditional imprisonment.

    Lawyers of the Bashkortostan Office of the Committee filed an appeal against the decision, because human rights defenders believed that all the evidence proving the guilt of policemen had been collected in the course of the pretrial investigation and confirmed during the trial.

    On 30 October 2007 the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Bashkortostan annulled the decision of the district court and remanded the case for another trial. The decision on appeal said that the conclusions of the court of original jurisdiction (the Tuymazy District Court) stated in its decision did not correspond to the actual circumstances of the case established by the court.

    Lawyers of the Committee Against Torture continue their work under the case of Ruslan Tangaev.