Photo: Elena Kovalenko – mother of police abuse victim Alexey Kovalenko.

   The Ruzayevka Investigation Department of the Investigation Committee under the RF Prosecutor’s Office for Mordovia has failed to find the person in charge of Alexey Kovalenko’s battery, though the beat-up took place more than two years ago.

Last week the Ruzayevka district court found the decision to stop proceedings under the criminal case on the allegations of Alexey Kovalenko’s battery lawful and motivated. Alexey Kovalenko claiming police abuse appealed against the unlawful actions of law enforcement agents with the help of the Committee against Torture, but the court held that his arguments were unpersuasive.  The fact that the investigation was suspended did not surprise anyone, because one could not hope that the investigator from the Ruzayevka Department of Internal Affairs would be objective since all witnesses and the victim himself claimed that his arm had been broken by an investigator from the same Department of Internal Affairs. As you may remember, two years have passed since the incident and within this period the Ruzayevka law enforcement authorities tried to hold an innocent person liable for the violation, some officers were dismissed, some were brought to disciplinary responsibility, the prosecutor of the Republic of Mordovia discovered and stated that the proceedings had been intentionally delayed, however, there is still no progress made under the case – the investigation authorities cannot identify the culprit.

The Committee against Torture has lodged a cassation appeal against the court decision and sent an official address to the Mordovian Prosecutor asking him to support the appeal and protect Alexey Kovalenko’s constitutional rights. If the Supreme Court of Mordovia dismisses the appeal, Alexey will have to apply to the European Court of Human Rights to restore his right.