Resident of Kabardino-Balkaria states that he was tortured to confess of keeping a grenade

Power agents kidnapped and tortured Murat Bizhev, a resident of Kabardino-Balkaria, forcing him to confess of keeping a grenade. This is stated in the message of the HRC "Memorial", where Bizhev turned for help, received by the "Caucasian Knot".

According to Mr Bizhev, in the morning on August 24, when he returned home from work, near the administration of the village of Baksanyonok, two masked men jumped out of a silver VAZ-2114 car, pushed him into the car, put a black plastic bag over his head, tied his hands with tape and took away to some unknown place.

The kidnappers were beating Murat in the field and then in a certain room. According to his story, he was tortured with electric shock and strangled. The kidnappers asked if he had known anyone of the persons searched by law enforcement bodies, and threatened to kill him, unless he signs the confession.

According to Mr Bizhev, the torture lasted for no less than nine hours, after which he agreed with the accusation of possessing a grenade. After that, he was taken to the city of Nalchik, where he was interrogated in some unknown building.

His torture continued: "In handcuffs, with a bag over my head, they put me on the ground and put some round object, resembling a grenade, into my hand; then, they put a round object into a pocket of my trousers. Then, they called certain people; I assume that an investigator was among them; they drew up a detention protocol."

He also noted that later he was taken to the division of inquiry of the Russian MIA for the city of Nalchik, where he refused to evidence. Murat Bizhev was arrested and placed into the IVS (a temporary detention facility). To defend his interests, his parents invited the advocate Elena Bairamkulova.

On August 27, the advocate met her client at the IVS. Ms Bairamkulova said that her client was limping, looked depressed and could not for a long time keep sitting on a bench in the interrogation room of the IVS. He said that he feared for his life and health and that power agents who tortured him would take revenge for his statement about fabrication of a criminal case against him.

On the same day, the Nalchik City Court ruled to put Murat Bizhev in custody and accused him under Article 222 (illegal purchase, transfer, sale, storage, transportation or carrying weapons, main parts of them, ammunition, explosives and explosive devices) of the Criminal Code, the message of the HRC "Memorial" writes.

So far, the "Caucasian Knot" has no comments of law enforcement bodies regarding the facts stated in Bizhev's declaration.