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Мар 30, 2009

The Nizhny Novgorod regional Directorate of the Interior thinks that detention of the Antonovs at night on 2 January 2009 in the Moskovskiy district of Nizhny Novgorod was absolutely lawful.

   This information was reported by the Information and Public Relations Department of the Directorate of the Interior to information agency NTA-Privolzhye on March 26.

The Committee against Torture representing the Antonovs’ interestsstrongly disagrees with this point of view.

According to the police statement, on 2 January 2009 a patrol car team of the Moskovskiy district Directorate of the Interior arrived at the scene of action because of a reported fight. The police claim that they did not see any fight upon arrival.

The Antonovs were allegedly quarrelling with the staff of private security company Pravoporyadok using vulgar language and being intoxicated.

However, no test was conducted to determine the level of alcohol in the Antonovs’ blood, thus there are no documental proofs to support the allegation that the Antonovs were drunk.

In their report the police claim that the Antonovs committed three administrative offenses – alcohol consumption in public, using obscene language against passers-by, setting dogs at people.

But such statements are completely unfounded and, in fact, amount to defamation, since the Antonovs were not held responsible for any of the offenses and not a single administrative offense protocol was prepared.

Law enforcement agents also claims that the Antonovs battered them – kicked two police officers in the stomach and on the legs.  

However, there are no medical documents fixing injuries of the police.

In their turn the police used violence and special tools – handcuffs — against the Antonovs.  As a result, Olga Antonova got the following injuries – broken nose bone, wrist joint contusions and contusion of right foot toes.  

There are medical documents confirming the injuries.

It should be mentioned that according to the statements of the police officers, several patrol cars arrived at the scene of action simultaneously.

Why were more that 10 officer of the Moskovskiy district Directorate of the Interior incapable of detaining two unarmed people without injuring them?

Why did the police allow the Antonovs to batter two their colleagues?

It seems that the State Directorate of the Interior cannot answer these questions.

The Directorate of the Interior claims that the investigation authorities have already established that violent treatment of the Antonovs’ was lawful.

But this statement does not correspond to the reality either. Right now the Moskovskiy district Investigation Department of the Investigation Administration of the RF Investigation Committee is performing an additional check into Olga and Viktor’s application claiming alleged police abuse.   

The Interregional Committee against Torture provides the Antonovs with the necessary legal and medical assistance and continues pressing for initiation of a criminal case against law enforcement agents who unlawfully detained and battered the spouses.