Lawyer Benyash tells he was beaten up after arrest

Doctors have fixed numerous bruises on the lawyer Mikhail Benyash, detained in Krasnodar. About 200 lawyers from various Russian regions have signed an appeal to the Federal Bar Association demanding to investigate the beating of their colleague.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on September 9 dozens were detained in Krasnodar in connection with the planned unsanctioned march against the pension reform. Mikhail Benyash, detained on the protest day, confirmed that he was beaten up.

Doctors fixed numerous bruises and traumatic otitis, Mr Benyash told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"I didn't understand where they brought me: they threw me with my face on the asphalt and dragged me up the stairs to the third or fourth floor. In the office, a man in civilian clothes struck me several times in the face, then threw me on the floor, and I hit my head on the safe," said Mikhail Benyash.

On September 10, Pavel Chikov, the head of the "Agora" Human Rights Group, posted in his Facebook page an appeal to the Federal Bar, which by 4:47 p.m. Moscow time was signed by 190 lawyers from 37 regions of Russia. They demanded to convoke an open sitting of the Bar and of the commission for the defence of lawyers' professional rights "and demanded from the state authorities to hold an efficient inquiry into the attack on Benyash," the appeal says.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on September 10, 2018 at 10:05 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.