Today Lazarevskoe regional court of Sochi trial proceedings on the crimonal case of 8 Sochi Special Police Forces officers who are accused of excess of powers during the last summer’s “special police operation” in children’s camp Druzhba.
Basing on the data acquired by the human rights activists from the Committee against Torture and thePublic Verdict Foundationwhoconducted a public investigation of the events in Lazarevskoe, at night on the 19th of July 2006 a group of SPF officers rushed into café Oasis located on the territory of the camp. The policemen humiliated and battered young people in the café. The total number of victims is 29, among them 5 are minors.
Today the court refused to satisfy the motion to change the measure of restraint for four police officers remaining in the SIZO (pre-trial detention centre) and let them out on the basis of a written undertaking not to leave the place. On the 7th of October Krasnodar regional court decided to let 3 police officers out of 7 out of the pre-trial detention centre. However, they were set free only on the 17th of October, just before the first hearing. Moreover, today prosecutor Barsukova indicted all officers. It is worth mentioning that all of the accused did not plead guilty.