Russia’s Investigative Committee refuses to look into alleged rape and torture of Daghestani native

Russia’s Investigative Committee has refused to open a criminal case into the alleged rape and torture of Magomed Magomedov, a 26-year-old native of Daghestan, in the Razvilkovo police department of the town of Vidnoye in the Moscow region. The news was reported by Magomedov’s lawyer Sergei Uzdensky.

According to Uzdensky, the refusal to investigate was an example of the ‘unconditional trust’ in the testimony of Interior Ministry officers without verifying their arguments.

In his post in his Telegram channel, Uzdensky noted that he was unofficially advised not to raise a fuss about the refusal in order to give the ‘system’ an opportunity to ‘get out of the situation with dignity’. At the same time, Uzdensky said he is sure that the law enforcement agencies in Vidnoye ‘cover for criminals’ guided by the principles of corporate ethics, and possibly other motives.

‘We are one billion per cent sure that the torture that Magomed spoke about took place’, Uzdensky said.

He added that he is waiting for the text of the investigative material, and plans to send it to the prosecutor’s office to check its legality.

OC Media contacted Uzdensky and another lawyer representing Magomedov, Vladislav Zhivaev, but neither have responded.

Magomedov was detained on 20 January on charges of illegally manufacturing weapons. According to his lawyers, they were unable to locate Magomedov for three days following his arrest.

Once he was located, Magomedov reportedly told his lawyers that officers at the Razvilkovo police department had demanded he unlock his phone and give them ‘the necessary testimony’. When he refused, he said three officers used a stun gun on him, and then raped him with a mop handle while threatening to repeat these actions on his relatives. Magomedov told his lawyers that some of his torture was filmed by the police.

Footage of Magomedov’s injuries and testimony were later released by his lawyers, which led the Head of Daghestan, Sergei Melikov, to intervene in the case. Melikov asked the Head of the Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin, and Russia’s Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev to take the case under their personal control.

The Moscow Oblast Interior Ministry denied that Magomedov was mistreated, stating that ‘no actions against the sexual integrity of the detainee were committed’. They claimed this had been confirmed by a doctor at the state medical centre.

There have been widespread reports of the rape of detainees and prisoners in Russia, including natives of the North Caucasus. In February 2024, Takhirzhon Bakiev took his own life after an alleged rape by the authorities left him with permanent physical injuries.

Moscow police ‘torture and rape’ Daghestani man

Police officers allegedly tortured Magomed Magomedov with an electric taser and raped him with a mop while demanding that he unlock his phone.

OC MediaElizaveta Chukharova