Lawyer Ruslan Nurushev faces torture conditions during his trial

International principles for the protection of prisoners’ rights were violated when Ruslan Nurushev was delivered to a court in Volgograd, claims lawyer Roman Melnichenko.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on December 11, 2024, Ruslan Nurushev was finally charged with disseminating fake news about the Russian Army, being motivated by hatred or enmity (the criminal article provides for five to ten years of imprisonment). The reason for the criminal prosecution was an entry posted by Ruslan Nurushev on a social networking service about a missile strike on Kharkov.

On March 5, Roman Melnichenko visited his colleague and former university mate Ruslan Nurushev in a SIZO (pre-trial prison) and learned from him about the torture conditions of delivery to courts. After getting up early, arrested people are being placed to a crowed cell. The arrestees are being taken out for a search and then placed back in the crowded conditions of the cell. The arrested people are being kept in such a cell for a long time. Then they are also transported to a court in crowded conditions. There they are being again placed to a crowded cell. After the trial, the defendants are being sent back to the SIZO.

“Arrestees smoke in the cells. It’s stuffy there. Hot. Cramped. It’s also cramped in the police wagon. People are not being provided with food during all the day. They are hungry. And all that horror sometimes continues until midnight. I think this is real torture ... This is a gross violation of international rights,” Roman Melnichenko stated.

“Ruslan learned that activists were carrying a poster with his portrait at a march in defence of political prisoners in Berlin. This greatly supported him. Ruslan understands that he has not been forgotten,” Roman Melnichenko added.