Father of suspect of killing MIA head of Dagestan says his son is tortured

Today, Ahmadudin Berziev, a resident of Rakhat settlement, Botlikh District, and father of Shamsullah Berziev, who was detained on suspicion of murdering the Interior Minister of Dagestan, has stated that his son is tortured. The detainee's bodily injuries were confirmed by a medical certificate.

Ahmadudin Berziev told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that Shamsullah was detained by local militiamen back on February 21. "At night, my acquaintances called me and told that my son was at the Botlikh ROVD (District Interior Division). I went there, but I was told that my son had already been taken away to Makhachkala, to the Republic's Prosecutor's Office. At midnight, an unknown person called me and presented himself as certain Grebenyuk, inspector of the Investigatory Committee of the Prosecutor's Office of the SFD. He told me that my son was detained for committing a crime, but refused to give details," said Mr Berziev-senior.

He told further that on February 22 he arrived at the Prosecutor's Office of Dagestan, but her son was not there. "Somewhat about lunch time, another man called me and said that he had been invited to my son as an on duty advocate. He was present when my son was interrogation and stated his innocence," Ahmadudin Berziev continued.

He said that on that very day a court session was held to sanction his son's arrest, where he saw Shamsullah for the first time after detention. "My son looked very bad; he could hardly walk. He limped earlier because of his plural splintered lower leg fractures. The judge sanctioned his arrest; and my son felt very bad right in the courtroom. They had to call an ambulance. Doctors examined him in the presence of the lawyer and rendered help. They also gave a preliminary medical conclusion on his state of health," the father of the detainee said.

Ahmadudin Berziev presented the doctors' certificate stating the presence of a blunt thorax trauma, thermal hip burns, wrist haematomas and body bruises.

Doctors also write that employees of the MIA of Dagestan did not let to hospitalize Shamsullah. Ahmadudin Berziev told that power agents took his son to Vladikavkaz.

He also said that on June 5, 2009, when the murder of the head of the republic's MIA Adilgerei Magomedtagirov was committed, his son was at home and moved on crutches.

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent could not get any comments on this occasion in law enforcement bodies.

Let us remind you that on February 24 Vladimir Markin, spokesman of the Investigatory Committee at the Prosecutor's Office (ICPO) of Russia reported detention of five persons - suspected organizer, helpers and executor of the murder of the head of Dagestan MIA. He also explained that the crime was solved because the weapons of the murder were identified - a special sniper's noiseless rifle "Vintorez" (Screw Tap) (VSK-94) with armour-piercing charges and a noiseless sub-machine gun "Val" (Shaft).