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«Gangsters» from the Lugansk militia

27.07.2004   
Oleksiy Svetikov, Severodonetsk
In January 2004 Valentin N., a well-known Lugansk doctor, was detained, beaten and robbed by a militia patrol. The uniformed criminals were punished only after the interference of the head of the militia directorate of the Lugansk oblast.

In January of this year Valentin N., a well-known Lugansk doctor, was detained by a militia patrol. The newspaper «Luganska Pravda» describes the events: «The militiamen did not introduce themselves, but demanded, in the threatening tone of voice generously flavored with unprintable words, to tell them, where the doctor lived. Yet, it seems that this information did not interest the patrolmen: they did not wait for the answer, but grabbed N. at his hands and began to rummage in his pockets. The reaction of Valentin was natural: «What are you doing?», he asked. This question provoked the attackers. They sprayed from a gas can into N.’s face, knocked him down and began to beat. They kicked their victim and beat him with some metal thing. They beat N. on his back, chest, neck, arms and legs, accompanying the execution with swearing and promises to murder him. Then the militiamen took away money from Valentin’s pockets, handcuffed him, threw into the car and, after two hours, took him to the district precinct.

In the precinct it became obvious that the patrolmen had been «too diligent», so they took off the handcuffs from the doctor and called a motor ambulance. The doctors of the motor ambulance rendered the urgent medical aid to the victim and recommended him the immediate X-ray and other examination and treatment.

After this the law-enforcers proposed the victim to write, «in exchange for hospitalization», the confession that he had violated the public order. The team of the motor ambulance interrupted the «haggling»: they did not drive away, as usual, but patiently waited for their colleague in order to transport him to a hospital.

The results of the «professional» work of militia officers were the following: «Closed cerebral brain injury. Cerebral brain concussion. Closed fracture of cartilaginous part of the 6th and 7th left ribs. Numerous abrasions on both forearms and the left knee. Closed fracture of distal metaphysis of the right spoke bone. Closed partial fracture of the outer flank ligament of the left ankle-joint. Closed fracture of the 2nd metatarsal bone of the left foot…»

Yet, this is not the end of this incident. At the same night N., suffering not only from pain but also from deep resentment, turned with the complaint to the Lugansk town militia precinct. The story about the criminal actions of militiamen did not seem strange and urgent to the major-on-duty, so he proposed the doctor to wait for some time. Some officers were guarding N. (maybe to prevent his escape?). The waiting was so long that the complainer «ripened» and agreed to write, from the words of the militia officer, the application that he had no complaints against the actions of the militiamen and that the traumas had been got during his way home. The militia officer also took away the reference from the hospital.

Only after the second complaint, handed personally to S. Kryzhanovskiy, the head of the militia directorate of the Lugansk oblast, two militiamen, who had beaten the doctor, were dismissed and the materials on this fact were passed to the prosecutor’s office. Unfortunately, our experience shows that this means nothing.

Besides, other militiamen, who work in the district and town precincts, who, at that January night, made the victim to give deliberately false evidence, continue to work on their posts. Yet, they were the accomplices in this crime. And our militia cannot pretend to be called a law-enforcing organ, if such officers work there. It rather resembles a well-organized criminal group, armed and very dangerous for all our compatriots.

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