On February 20 we learnt that the investigation of the high-profile criminal case concerning beating of police captain Artur Sadretdinov, Sergey Andreyev and Oleg Bayrashev by officers of the Russian Federal Drug Control Service Directorate for Bashkiria had finished. Three operational investigators have been charged under cl. а, b, part 3 of Article 286 of the Russian Criminal Code (abuse of office with violent treatment).

You may remember that on August 4, 2010 the Bashkiria representation of INGO “Committee Against Torture” received an application from Oktyabrsky residents A.V. Sadretdinov, O.R. Bayrashev and S.A. Andreyev alleging ill-treatment by Bashkirian Drug Control Service Directorate agents.    

CAT lawyers carried out a public investigation which confirmed the fact of torture. It was established that on July 21, 2010 Sadretdinov, Bayrashev and Andreyev had been detained by the drug police and taken to the Oktyabrsky Department of the Federal Drug Control Service Directorate where they had been beaten for several hours with the purpose of making them confess to involvement in illegal drug trade.   

As a result of “communication” with the drug police the victims sustained numerous injuries of various degrees of severity, due to which Sadretdinov and Andreyev had to spend several weeks in hospital.  On September 1, 2010 criminal proceedings were instigated upon the fact of ill-treatment.

The Committee Against Torture will continue providing legal assistance to the victims and ensuring fair punishment of the perpetrators.