ENOUGH, GRAVE GRAVES!

INVESTIGATIONS

Experts from the Partnership of Human Rights Organizations of Russia returned from Bashkiria last week. Lawyers studied the circumstances of the mass beatings of residents of Blagoveshchensk. What really happened in a small Bashkir town, Novaya...

Experts from the Partnership of Human Rights Organizations of Russia returned from Bashkiria last week. Lawyers studied the circumstances of the mass beatings of residents of Blagoveshchensk. What actually happened in a small Bashkir town, Novaya was told by the head of the Partnership group, Igor KALYAPIN.

— Igor, so what happened in Blagoveshchensk?

— Chechnya. The most real. The city of 30,000 was literally raped for three days. And, apparently, with the consent (or by order) of the local leadership.

- And what versions do you have?

“There are actually two of them. First. The cleansing was caused by a fight between local businessmen and a police squad, which included the nephew of the head of the Blagoveshchensk District Department of Internal Affairs. And the second one (the republican government just uses it to justify itself). The special operation was the response of law enforcement officers to the growing lawlessness of Blagoveshchensk gangsters and hooligans. As we found out, on December 9 there really was a fight between entrepreneurs and three policemen. According to local residents, the cops severely crushed the merchants and their wives, who hurried to the rescue of their husbands. But, according to the leadership of the District Department of Internal Affairs, it was the businessmen and their ladies who inflicted injuries on the PEPs, which is why they hastily went to the hospital.

I personally spoke with an employee of the teaching staff Chistyakov, who took part in the brawl. He said (and wrote) that there was no fight. That is, he denies that he and other policemen were beaten. And when I asked: “Did you beat yourself?” - he replied: "No, they just pushed."

What about the second version?

- Well, everything is simple here. Crime in the city is really growing. For example, if in 2000 there were two robbery attacks, then in 2004 there were eight. The authorities, of course, said that a 400% increase in crime was too much, and they went to knead the locals. But I think that both versions do not explain the reasons for the Annunciation cleansing. If only because those entrepreneurs were released and were not subjected to police retribution. Because of them, such porridge could not be brewed. Well, I won’t say anything about the official version at all ... Here, it seems to me (but this is just my assumption), the matter is a little deeper. Last year, in early December, there were presidential elections in Bashkiria. Three people fought for the chair of the head of the republic with approximately the same chances of winning. For incumbent President Rakhimov, this was the third election, and he, of course, knew well what he would do with those who voted against him. Blagoveshchensk turned out to be one of the few cities that just gave Rakhimov a ride. In my opinion, he had even fewer votes there than "against all".

- That is, Rakhimov waited until all electoral affairs subsided, and brutally avenged himself?

- I can't say for sure. But that seems to be exactly what it is. Moreover, as local human rights activists told me, punitive measures after the elections in Bashkiria are quite normal. Of course, there were no purges. But salaries to state employees and pensions to rebellious cities were delayed for six months. Financing was cut, heads of enterprises were fired, heads of private firms were forced to transfer to other places (so that the city would receive less taxes).

— What exactly did you learn from the residents of Blagoveshchensk?

“People just say creepy things. For example, on December 11, a rural disco was held in the House of Culture of the suburban village of Ilyina-Polyana. There were mostly teenagers aged 13-17. Late at night, a bus with riot police drove up there. With machine guns and wearing masks, they ran into the hall, threw everyone face down on the floor and ordered them not to move. The girls were released. Soon a "UAZ" drove up to the House of Culture, from where the local district policeman Mogilnikov and several teenagers got out. A fresh batch was also driven inside. The victim Lazarev told me that, for example, he was generally taken out of the apartment and, wringing his hands, was taken to the House of Culture. There, all the detainees were stripped, their phones and money were taken away. Those who resisted were beaten with rubber sticks. The district policeman Mogilnikov personally showed the riot police who should be beaten, in what place and how many times. They sprayed gas in their eyes. Then all the teenagers were taken to the bus. For 60 people, the "pazik" was clearly not suitable. Then those who could not squeeze inside were simply beaten by the cops and thrown over the rest. The slightest rustle was followed by a blow with a stick, at best on the back. It was also impossible to look at the faces (albeit in masks) of the riot police. But Lazarev looked, and then one of the fighters hit him in the forehead with a butt ... The doctors then recorded an acute craniocerebral injury and a fracture of the frontal bone of the skull.

The detainees were taken to the Blagoveshchensk District Department of Internal Affairs. At that time, there were already 200 people there. Everyone stood with their hands up, their legs apart, their foreheads against the wall. The female investigator called everyone one at a time and asked one question: “Did you drink?”. For the answer "no" was supposed to hit with a baton. More than three blows, as a rule, teenagers could not stand it and confessed to drunkenness. And at the same time in robberies, hooliganism and other crimes.

— Have you been in contact with the Annunciation leadership?

Our group is not. But they tried with us. As it turned out later, employees of the Bashkir Ministry of Internal Affairs approached us under the guise of journalists. We tried to find out whose applications and complaints we accept. Interested in the names of these people ...

— Has the commission of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia already made a statement on the results of the inspection?

- Yes. They recognized the actions of the Bashkir OMON as incorrect, but legal. Legal, you know! After that, I generally doubt the adequacy of our police leadership. And what the hell, then it was necessary to initiate a criminal case, since everything is legal! More than 100 victims, dozens of lawsuits and hundreds of Blagoveshchensk residents who are simply afraid to do something - and this is the statement of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

- Aren't you afraid that time will pass, everything will be forgotten, calm down, and the police will begin to take revenge on those who filed claims?

We do not rule out such a scenario. If it becomes clear that the Blagoveshchensk case is being put on hold, we will simply take all the applicants to other regions. But I don't think it will come to that. I will be very surprised if, after such a case, the Minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic, Divaev, remains in his post. Although, perhaps, he will get off with a reprimand, and then he will receive some kind of award ...

- Has the official investigation already identified the citizens involved in the beating?

- They have a swamp there. The only one who suffered was the city prosecutor. But he has only been suspended for now. Now he is on sick leave. As I understand it, they are going to either restore him to his former place, or transfer him to work as a prosecutor in Ufa. Not a single policeman has yet been involved in the case. Despite the fact that most of the victims are minors.

- In general, in Bashkiria, this is not the first time that the police arrange reprisals against children ...

- Not the first one. Recently, in Neftekamsk (in the north of the republic), a PPS detachment beat a 13-year-old child. On New Year's Eve, Timur Yamurov rode a hill with his friends. The policemen asked him why he was walking around drunk. The child, of course, said that he did not drink. After that, he was taken to the stronghold. They took off their clothes and took away their cell phone. And again they offered to confess. Timur again refused, and then the peepsnik took out an electric shock and let a discharge into the child. They tortured him with electric shock six times... The parents wrote a statement to the prosecutor's office, but they were denied initiating a case.