In Dagestan, Zaur Gasanov, accused of policemen's murder, claims being tortured

On November 25, the Supreme Court (SC) of Dagestan interrogated Zaur Gasanov, accused of killing policemen and being a member of illegal armed formation (IAF). The defendant has pleaded not guilty. Besides, he has claimed being tortured.

"I was detained on August 27, 2011, in Stavropol, where I worked. Power agents broke into the house and stroke my brother and me down to the floor. They beat me to my face till I began to bleed. They put a bag on my head and then brought me to the Centre to Combat Extremism. There, they beat me again," the defendant said.

According to him, from Stavropol, he was brought to Izberbash. "They brought me to a building close to the sea and tortured me there. They connected wires to my toes and fingers and switched on electric current. They told me to confess to the murder of policemen. And they told me if I did not confess to everything, they would torture my brother. I thought then that they detained my brother. And I told them I would sign everything and that they would not touch my brother," Zaur Gasanov has said.

The prosecutor has claimed the substantial discrepancies in the testimonies given by Zaur Gasanov at the trial and during the investigation and filed a motion to read out the testimony given by the defendant.

The next court session in the case against Zaur Gasanov is scheduled for November 29.