Today the criminal division of the Nizhny Novgorod regional court has upheld the verdict of the Nizhegorodsky district court delivered on July 22, 2010 in respect of two police officers – Oleg Koreguin and Anatoly Timofeyev – accused of abuse of office with violent treatment and destruction of official documents.

Both defendants have been found guilty. At night on 5 April 2009, being on duty, they unlawfully detained Alexey Yakimov, took him to the Nizhegorodsky district police station where they tortured him for many hours on an improvised rack. Later, the policemen took Mr. Yakimov to the Volga bank and tried to drown him.

The investigation authorities opened a criminal case only after the Interregional Committee Against Torture where Alexey Yakimov had applied for help told mass media about those events. Lawyers of the Committee represented the victim’s interests in court during the whole period of the proceedings.

The first instance court foundOleg Koreguinand Anatoly Timofeyev guilty under cl. “a”, “b”, p.3 Art. 286 of the RF Criminal Code (abuse of office, i.e. activity of an official that is clearly based on excess of powers and leads to violation of individual rights and interests, rights and interests of organizations or state, and public interests protected by law, committed with violent treatment and application of special tools) and p.1 Art. 325 of the RF Criminal Code (destruction and damaging of official documents committed for personal reasons).

Both defendants were sentenced to 3 years and one month of imprisonment in a standard security penal colony, besides, they cannot work in law enforcement bodies for two years.

Alexey Yakimov’s representatives considered the verdict unjustifiably lenient and appealed against it.   The convicts, in their turn, filed a cassation appeal against the verdict and continued claiming innocent. Another cassation appeal was lodged by the prosecutor’s office which demanded a tougher penalty.

Eventually, the criminal division of the Nizhny Novgorod regional court dismissed all appeals.