18:04, 27 January 2022

Complaint of Rustam Kuchmenov, KBR resident, sent to ECtHR

Rustam Kuchmenov. Photo from the website of the "Committee against Torture" (CaT) https://www.pytkam.net/ru/news/rassledovaniem-dela-o-pytkah-v-nalchike-zaymutsya-na-respublikanskom-urovne

The "Committee against Torture" (CaT)* has filed a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in the interests of Rustam Kuchmenov, a citizen of Nalchik, who accuses law enforcers of torturing him.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Kuchmenov had identified five law enforcers, but none of them was removed from his post. On July 26, 2020, the torture criminal case was stopped for the sixth time.

In November 2019, the court sentenced Kuchmenov to six years in prison on charges of thefts. According to investigators, together with his accomplices, he committed household thefts. The man refused to plead guilty, stating that law enforcers had beaten him up forcing to confess to the thefts by torturing him with electric current. After beatings, Kuchmenov's health deteriorated significantly, his advocate has reported.

According to Maria Zadorozhnaya, a lawyer, investigators have no convincing version of the origin of injuries on Kuchmenov's body, "despite the witnesses' testimonies and medical proofs."

Let us remind you that in June 2021, the CaT's lawyers sent a complaint to the ECtHR about the torture of Kuchmenov's brother, Timur Zhambekov, who was also convicted on charges of thefts.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on January 27, 2022 at 04:39 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Source: Caucasian Knot