Four police officers, two of whom have already been fired, have been found guilty of abusing detainees and sentenced to prison, the Sverdlovsk investigative department reported on Wednesday.
The convicted include an acting investigator, two detectives and an assistant to a district police officer.
According to investigators, in 2009 the investigative department of the Kamensky district investigated a theft case. On October 26, 2009, police officers brought three people to the police department to investigate their involvement in the crime.
Investigators believe that the police officers used violence against the detainees to compel them to give testimony.
“After holding the detainees overnight, the police officers released them in the morning. They appealed to the interregional investigative department. In the criminal investigation, it was revealed that another citizen was convicted of property theft,” the statement reads.
The police officers were sentenced to imprisonment for a term of four to five years. In addition, they are barred from holding public office for three years. The defendants were taken into custody in the courtroom.
