Elena Patyaeva—a friend of Seda Suleymanova, who disappeared three years ago after being forcibly returned from St. Petersburg to Chechnya—was detained in Grozny. On August 23, Patyaeva stood by the monument to journalists who died for freedom of speech, holding a sign that read: "I demand an investigation into the murder of Seda Suleymanova." This was reported by the human rights project "Slovo Zashchite" (Word for the Defense).
The Supreme Court of Dagestan ordered the arrest of two more police officers suspected of torturing and killing a local resident at the police station. A criminal case has been filed against them for abuse of power. In total, seven security officials are under investigation.
In January, it became known that 35-year-old Kurban Dalgatov died of strangulation in the police station in the Sovetsky district of Makhachkala. Doctors recorded his injuries.
According to investigators, the police detained Dalgatov because they believed that he had helped an acquaintance escape, who was suspected of shooting at a person. Having taken the man to the police department, the security forces, out of a “desire to show the effectiveness of their work,” began to demand that he indicate the whereabouts of an acquaintance. As a result of torture, the detainee died.