Yabloko leader demands investigation into Kynev torture claims — The Moscow Times

Yabloko party leader Nikolai Rybakov has appealed to law enforcement agencies in Russia, the aggressor state, asking them to investigate reports of the beating and torture of independent political analyst Alexander Kynev after his detention in Moscow. The Moscow Times reports.

Claims of injuries after detention

Human rights groups said that Kynev was hospitalized at a medical facility attached to a Moscow detention center after being detained on drug charges. According to them, he had bone fractures and other injuries. Russian officials did not comment on these claims.

In a Telegram post, Rybakov said that those involved in the possible violence should not only be identified and punished, but also immediately dismissed from law enforcement agencies. He also stressed that torture and violence are unacceptable regardless of the state security agencies' attitude toward the detainee.

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Conflicting claims

Russian political commentator Yekaterina Schulmann, who is in exile and personally knows Kynev, said that police officers allegedly broke his leg and used electric current on him. According to her version, this was an attempt to obtain a confession to high treason. She did not specify where she obtained this information.

At the same time, Kynev's lawyer denied Schulmann's claims, saying that he was unaware of evidence of torture or of his client's being charged with high treason. Kynev denies the drug charges, for which he could face up to 20 years in prison.

In February, Russia's Ministry of Justice added Kynev to the register of “foreign agents.” He had previously worked with independent political organizations, including the disbanded election-monitoring organization Golos.