A patrol officer in south Siberia has been detained in connection with the death of a student, investigators said on Saturday.
The 19-year-old student was admitted to hospital in the Altai Territory town of Rubtsovskye with serious head injuries on December 27 and died five days later.
A 31-year-old patrol officer has been charged with attacking the student. Investigators say the officer kicked and punched the deceased during celebrations ahead of New Year at a youth centre in the town.
The reputation of the Russian police force hit a new low in November 2009, when the country's Interior Minister stated that citizens had the right to defend themselves if attacked by law enforcement officers.
Rashid Nurgaliyev was speaking at a meeting with students just days after police officers in both Moscow and St. Petersburg were detained on suspicion of beating innocent people to death.
"If the citizen is not a criminal who is being detained and has not broken any laws...if he is being attacked, self-defense is applicable here," the minster said in response to a question on rising police crime.
Nurgaliyev, who had earlier reminded police chiefs that their officers should use their weapons against criminals and not innocent citizens, said rogue police were "criminals in uniform, who need to be isolated and jailed."
Reports of police brutality are increasingly common in Russia. In the last 18 months, Russian police officers have been convicted or charged with burning a suspect to death, shooting sprees, a beheading, and rape.
NOVOSIBIRSK, January 16 (RIA Novosti)
