The Prosecutor's Office of Yakutia has launched an investigation into an incident that resulted in the death of a child in the town of Belaya Gora. According to the boy's aunt, he was brought by police officers in the trunk of their vehicle, where he was lying covered in vomit. A few hours later, he passed away. The aunt shared her account on the public forum "Yakutia News" on July 26.
After the death of a 13-year-old boy from the town of Belaya Gora in the Abyisky district, his family filed a complaint with law enforcement agencies regarding the actions of the police. According to the boy’s aunt, on July 25, her nephew went out with a friend and was later brought home by the police. The aunt claims that the officers extracted the boy, covered in vomit, from the trunk of their vehicle. The policemen said that they found him unconscious near a kindergarten, but then he provided his name and address. The family did not detect any alcohol smell from him.
"The officers told his mother to carry him into the apartment by herself. The boy was 13, but big. The policemen thought he was an intoxicated teenager, and when they found out about his age they were surprised," the aunt said.
Later that evening, there was a power outage in the town, and it took some time for the mother to realize that her son had stopped showing signs of life. According to the family, the ambulance took too long to arrive, and upon examination, the doctors pronounced the boy dead. The family thinks that the child may have suffered a neck injury because of bumps during the ride or choked on vomit. Allegedly, there was a phone call from the police to ask if the boy had regained consciousness but upon hearing about his death, calls stopped.
The prosecutor's office has initiated an investigation into the child's death. However, because of the lack of specialists in the remote northern settlement, it may take up to a week to determine the cause of death.
In June 2023, at least two other cases of death following police detentions were reported. In the Ryazan region, 33-year-old Tomik Badoyan was detained in front of his mother and taken to a police station. Two days later, Badoyan's relatives received a call from the Investigative Committee, informing them of his death. According to the man's uncle, his body had numerous injuries, including knocked-out teeth and a fractured cheekbone. The family’s request for an independent forensic examination was denied.
In Rostov, activist Anatoly Berezikov died in a special detention center. Lawyer Irina Gak, who visited him, reported his death on June 14. The staff at the detention center claimed that Berezikov had committed suicide. Human rights activists initiated a fundraising campaign to investigate the Rostov activist's death. Following media coverage, the Investigative Committee launched a criminal case on instigation to commit suicide.
