Civil suits of “mopping-up” victims were returned to them by the district court decision. Today the Bashkirian representation of the Committee against Torture appealed against this decision to the Supreme Court of Bashkiria.   

You may remember that earlier two victims filed civil suits for compensation of damage incurred by the police during the special operation. Those were pilot suits prepared by Committee specialists.

However, the Blagoveschensk district court basically refused to try them stating that they were to be filed at the place of actual respondent’s (RF Finance Ministry, Bashkirian Finance Ministry) location.

When doing that, the Blagoveschensk district court ignored the provisions of p. 5 art. 29 of the RF Civil Procedural Code that states that civil claims for compensation of damage to health can be filed at the place of claimant’s residence or at the place of damage infliction. Despite the fact that Sergey and Dmitry Antipin had been battered in the Blagoveschensk district, the local court refused to consider their claim.  It seems that thus the Blagoveschensk district court wants to get rid of the forthcoming 342 suits from victims under that case.