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).
In Makhachkala, two policemen were detained suspected of torture and murder of local resident Kurban Dalgatov at the police department. A criminal case has been filed against them for abuse of power. In total, nine security officials are already under investigation in this case.
In January 2023, it became known that 35-year-old Kurban Dalgatov died of strangulation in the police department 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.
The defendants initially denied their guilt. In court, they claimed that Dalgatov “grabbed his heart, leaned against the wall, and then fell, hitting his face on the floor.”