The European Court of Human Rights awarded compensation of 26 thousand euros to activist from Nalchik Aslan Iritov, recognizing him as a victim in the case of torture by security forces. this . reports The Caucasian Knot
The court recognized that Iritov was subject to torture and its ineffective investigation, as well as illegal deprivation of liberty in the form of extra-procedural detention.
In September 2021, the Nalchik City Court sentenced Iritov to two years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of two years under the article on the use of violence dangerous to life or health against government officials (Part 2 of Article 318 of the Criminal Code), as well as a fine of 20 thousand rubles under the article on insulting a law enforcement officer (Article 319 of the Criminal Code). The court released Iritov from the fine due to the expiration of the statute of limitations.
According to the initial version of the investigation, Iritov, who had both hands amputated, grabbed a SOBR officer by the throat and strangled him, “squeezing his fingers.” After journalists drew attention to this quote, the wording about fingers disappeared from the case materials.
The case against activist Aslan Iritov and his brother Beslan Iritov was opened in 2017. On October 26, 2018, the Nalchik City Court found Beslan Iritov guilty of using violence against a government official and sentenced him to six months in prison. Taking into account the time of arrest, Beslan was released in the courtroom. In 2018, the proceedings in the case of Aslan Iritov were stopped following his complaint, but the Fifth Cassation Court in Pyatigorsk in March 2021 decided to review this decision.
- In October 2017, Iritov and the organization he headed planned to hold a rally against the sale of the lands of Volny Aul, a resort village in Nalchik. Before the rally, human rights activists claim, security forces came to Iritov’s home and beat him and his family. The case materials stated that the activist allegedly strangled the security officer, despite his lack of hands. According to investigators, during a visit by security forces before the rally, the man insulted and attacked the deputy head of the Center “E” department, Khamidbi Gubashiev, who allegedly received a cut lip and a concussion.
- According to the activist’s daughter, a criminal case was opened after the Iritov brothers refused to withdraw from the police a statement about the beating of their family.
- On June 11, 2022, Vladimir Putin signed a law allowing the Russian government not to implement ECHR decisions taken after March 15, 2022, the day the Russian Federation left the Council of Europe.