Advocate from Kabardino-Balkaria declares violation of his client's rights in Stavropol Territory

Elena Bairamkulova, lawyer of the Kabardino-Balkarian Bar, who is defending Rustam Karanashev, a resident of Kabardino-Balkaria, detained on September 24 in Stavropol Territory, has filed a complaint to the Predgorny District Court of this Territory on violation of the right for legal defence, as stipulated by the Russian Code of Criminal Procedure in relation to her client, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

The complaint runs that in spite of the fact that investigator on the case Mikhailov, A. N., has been notified that Mr Karanashev's defenders are Elena Bairamkulova and Magomet Abubakarov, who have agreements concluded with the defendant, he conducts, without informing them, investigatory actions, where he invites appointed advocates.

Further, Ms Bairamkulova writes in her complaint that employees of Centre "Т" of the Organized Crime Fighting Department (UBOP) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR) have repeatedly come to Karanashev from Nalchik to Pyatigorsk and interrogated without the presence of a lawyer.

Also, Ruslan Karanashev "was tortured by means of some special device with rotating handle and wires connected to his fingers." "Karanashev was tortured until he agreed to sign a number of documents and several empty forms," the defender asserts.

The lawyer asks the court to recognize the protocol of additional interrogation of defendant Rustam Karanashev of October 1, 2008, to be illegal and ungrounded.

According to Bairamkulova, on October 1 her client Karanashev was delivered to SIZO (pre-trial custody) "Bely Lebed" (White Swan), where on October 8 his medical examination was made. The advocate marks the extremely bad condition of his health. Karanashev had three heart attacks.

Ruslan Karanashev sent applications to the General Public Prosecutor of the Russian Federation, Human Rights Centre "Memorial" and European Committee against Torture stating that he had been exposed to illegal methods of conducting investigation.