Two police officers arrested in Daghestan over death and ‘torture’ in custody

Two police officers have been arrested in Daghestan on suspicion of torturing Kurban Dalgatov, who died after being interrogated by police in January.

The two officers were detained on 5 October on charges of ‘excess of official powers with the use of torture resulting in the death of a person’, according to Daghestan’s Supreme Court.

Seven people have so far been arrested over Dalgatov’s death.

The 35-year-old had been summoned to the Sovetsky District police station for questioning in relation to an armed conflict that had taken place in Makachkala. He reportedly fell ill during the interrogation and was transferred to a hospital, where he died an hour later.

Dalgatov was survived by three children and his widow, Amina Dalgatova, who claims to have received anonymous threats for posting about her husband’s death.

‘I often write about these police officers on social networks. And someone, probably from [fake] pages, writes to me: “calm down, otherwise, we will calm you down” ’, Dalgatova told Caucasian Knot.

‘This is such psychological pressure, but it doesn’t affect me.’

Daghestan’s Investigative Committee reported that they were looking into Dalgatov’s death in January.

They said at the time that they had opened criminal cases against the police officers involved in his interrogation on charges of abuse of power and causing death by negligence. 

The Committee later reported that Dalgatov’s body had visible injuries, and cited claims from his family that he was tortured by electric shocks to the heart.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs vowed in January to hold those responsible accountable, stating that ‘if the employees’ guilt is confirmed, they will be punished by the procedure established by law, and their managers will be held accountable by the law’.

Read in Georgian on On.ge.