Russia jails former security service officer for 4.5 years over torture

A Moscow garrison military court has sentenced former Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) lieutenant colonel Alexey Kudryavtsev to 4.5 years in a high-security penal colony for abuse of power involving torture.

The court also banned him from holding public office for five years, stripped him of his rank, and revoked his state awards, according to Russian media.

Kudryavtsev was charged under Part 4 of Article 286 of the Russian Criminal Code, which covers abuse of authority involving violence, weapons, special means, or resulting in serious harm or death. He pleaded guilty and entered into a pre-trial cooperation agreement.

According to the case materials, during operational activities, the former officer conspired with others to unlawfully “inspect” a civilian. While claiming to investigate alleged links to terrorism, they were in fact acting out of personal interest and clearly exceeding their legal authority. The group illegally entered the man’s home, staged false operational procedures, and then beat and tortured him in an attempt to gain unauthorised access to his mobile phones and the data stored on them.

The trial was held behind closed doors. After confirming the defendant’s identity, the prosecutor requested that the hearing remain closed, citing that personal data of Federal Security Service and Prosecutor's Office officials would be disclosed during the proceedings. The motion was unanimously supported by all parties and granted by the judge.

By Jeyhun Aghazada