Having tried the cassation appeal of the Federal Treasury Administration for Bashkiria, the civil division of the Supreme Court of Bashkiria has upheld the decision of Kirovsky district court of Ufa. The Russian Finance Ministry is to pay 25 000 and 20 000 rubles as compensation of moral damage to the father and son (the Galimovs) from Bashkiria who suffered from police abuse.

You may remember that on 19 August 2005 A.T. Zakirov, director of the Tuymazinsky cattle farm arbitrary drove 165 animals belonging to the Nikitinka agricultural enterprise away. Officers of the Tuymazinsky district Department of Internal Affairs did not prevent the crime, and even contributed to it. They used force against two minors, including A.R. Galimov, who were guarding the property of Nikitinka.  The police also unlawfully detained four Nikitinka workers, including R.A. Galimov, and took them away from the territory of the farm so that they could not encumber the seizure of cattle. District police officers of the Tuymazinsky district Department of Internal Affairs A.G. Gabdrakhmanov and F.F. Farrakhov prepared administrative offense protocols against them, the protocols contained false information on the basis of which the victims were subject to administrative punishment.  Besides, the detainees, including R.A. Galimov, spent 7 hours in the Tuymazinsky district Department of Internal Affairs.

The victims applied to the Bashkirian representation of the Committee against Torture for help, specialists of the Committee conducted a public investigation. The CAT lawyers also pressed for initiation of criminal proceedings against the police officers and provided medical and legal support to the victims. The district court sentenced the officers to 2.5 years of imprisonment, the sentence was suspended. The court held that officers Farrakhov and Gabdrakhmanov had committed crimes under cl. “a”, p.3 of art. 286 of the RF CC (abuse of office with violent treatment) and p.1 art. 285 of the RF Criminal Code (excess of official powers).  

This case is dealt with by the Bashkirian representation of INGO “Committee against Torture” which provides all the necessary legal support to the victims. In the nearest future it will lodge four more civil suits claiming compensation of moral damage under this case.