Photo:  painter Vladimir Polyashov with his wife Elena.

The Nizhny Novgorod regional court refused to cancel or reduce it.

    Today the criminal division of the Nizhny Novgorod regional court tried the cassation appeal of two police officers convicted under the case of a famous Dzerzhinsk painter Vladimir Polyashov. You may remember that on November 15, 2007 the Dzerzhinsk city court found the police officers who had battered Vladimir guilty under article 286 of the RF Criminal Code (excess of official powers) and p.3 of article 111 of the RF CC (infliction of serious injury with intent by a group of people).

The court sentenced convicted Dmitry Trofimov to 6 years in a penal colony with increased security, Mikhail Trufanin to 5 years and 6 months in a penal colony with increased security. Convicted Trofimov and Trufanin, their lawyers and the state prosecutor asked the court to reduce the sentence fixed by the Dzerzhinsk city court. However, the cassational division of the regional court kept the sentence and it became enforceable.

The representative of the injured party, lawyer of the Committee against Torture Mikhail Shulayev, said that he was satisfied with the court verdict.

You may remember that specialist of the Committee against Torture conducted a public investigation under Mr.Polyashov’s application and also granted him legal assistance in course of the proceedings.