Four former cops suspected in a shocking fatal sodomy attack with a champagne bottle on a man detained in Kazan have all pointed the finger at a senior lieutenant as being the one responsible for the sadistic assault, media outlets reported Wednesday.
Almaz Vasilov, 25, however, denies he was behind the stunning act of violence that left 52-year-old Sergei Nazarov with injuries so severe that he ultimately died on Sunday.
"What they're saying on TV and writing in newspapers is only 5 percent of the truth. My mistake was only that I let Nazarov go to the toilet. He was there for seven to 10 minutes. He did the damage to himself," Vasilov , according to Komsomolskaya Pravda.
"He didn't have a bottle with him, but in the trash can there could have been a vodka bottle. Probably in the toilet there was mop," he said. "I want to appeal to all whom I once helped. Rise to my defense!"
The five suspects as well as four of their superiors have been fired.
The staggering beating allegedly occurred at Kazan's Dalny police station, where Nazarov was taken Friday night after police say a store clerk accused him of stealing her cell phone. Nazarov had previously been convicted six times and served a total of 18 years behind bars, tabloid website Life News .
Both of Nazarov's knees were tattooed with a 12-point star, jailhouse code for "I will never get down on my knees," a Kazan tattoo artist told the tabloid. The symbol is worn only by seasoned criminals with a high rank in the prison hierarchy.
"Not every inmate has the right to bear such a tattoo," Dmitry Fyodorov Life News.
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