Kabardino-Balkaria: the Trial of Inal Berov Has Been Dropped

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Human Rights Center Memorial

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Mar 12, 2013, 4:56:15 AM3/12/13

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Kabardino-Balkaria: the Trial of Inal Berov Has Been Dropped

The Human Rights Centre Memorial previously reported that on 20th April 2012 Inal Berov, a resident of Nalchik in the Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria, was arrested on suspicion of hold-up. The previous day a certain M. Sokhov gave evidence against him in a pre-trial detention centre in Nalchik. He later admitted that he had slandered Inal Berov (http://www.memo.ru/eng/news/2012/04/26/2604121.html).

Prior to this, at the beginning of March Inal Berov was abducted by unknown policemen, who took him to a building of the Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria’s Ministry of Internal Affairs. There he was beaten and tortured for a confession to a crime he did not commit. After not obtaining the confession, the police released him.

In response to the use of torture Bernov and his father submitted a complaint to the Investigation Committee and appealed to human rights organisations, after which a criminal investigation was opened into the abuse of power and the use of violence. Inal Berov was recognized as a victim. Meanwhile he was still considered a suspect in the hold-up.

The Human Rights Centre Memorial learned that on 28 February 2013 the criminal investigation against Inal Berov on suspicion of hold-up was dropped.

The criminal investigation in relation to the policemen who tortured Berov is still ongoing.