Twenty-one people died in Russian police custody last month, including two who had been subjected to police violence, Russian website MediaZona reported Wednesday.
Seven of the deaths were from suicide, and another seven were from cardiac arrest, according to official information cited in the report by MediaZona, a news site focusing on law enforcement, the legal system and prison system that was founded by members of the female protest group Pussy Riot.
Two deaths were "connected with police violence," the report said, while eight detainees died in a state of alcoholic intoxication.
One detainee died from an epileptic seizure, and another from tuberculosis. Another fatality was caused by drug withdrawal, one person died in a fire, and another fell out of a police vehicle while it was moving, the report said.
The ages of the deceased ranged from 20 years old to 61 years old, with the average being 40 years old. ?
Police brutality against detainees hit the headlines in 2012 when a man died in Russia's republic of Tatarstan after being sodomized with a bottle by officers while in police custody.
Last week, two Moscow region police officers were detained on suspicion of using electric shocks to force a woman to confess to theft, investigators said in a statement.
The officers are accused of covering the woman's head with a plastic bag during an interrogation and administering at least 35 electric shocks to her, the Investigative Committee said, citing an examination of the victim.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.