Initiation of criminal case over Djalaganiya's beating denied

Denis Djalaganiya, an animal rights defender from the Krasnodar Territory, was denied opening a criminal case against the men who beat him up during his visit to a dog shelter. According to law enforcers, Djalaganiya should personally file a lawsuit against his offenders in the magistrate's court.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that three men beat up Denis Djalaganiya, a public inspector for the treatment of animals, when he tried to check the conditions of keeping dogs in the shelter. One of the beaters wrote a denunciation of the activist, accusing him of discrediting militaries, and the victim was questioned by the FSB on this matter.

On August 9, Djalaganiya was denied opening a criminal case against the men who beat up and robbed him. He said that one of the attackers had already been charged with assault and beating him up.

Denis' opponents have claimed that their actions were related to the animal rights defender's pacifist position.

According to one of the opponents, he saw Djalaganiya at the shelter gate and, "since he had a personal dislike for him," and also in connection with Denis' position, "he got out of the car, took a piece of a stick from a disassembled bed, approached him and hit him with this stick several times, while telling him that this was for his condemnation of the special military operation (SMO)."

Djalaganiya has confirmed that when he saw three men armed with sticks, he tried to run away, but they knocked him down and started beating him; they took away his mobile phone and began demanding apologies. "I was forced to repeat what they told me; otherwise they would have killed me there. I had no choice," Denis has stated, noting that the words that he was in a state of alcoholic intoxication were slander. "They beat me up, robbed me, forced me to apologize for nothing and slandered me. And this is not for the first time. There is a court ruling," he has complained.

Sergey Egorov, an advocate, said that he specializes in animal rights cases and personally knows Djalaganiya as "a decent person who loves animals and defends their rights." "It is very difficult for a public figure, who actually has no protection from the state, to seek justice," said the advocate.

In his opinion, the refusal to initiate a criminal case is unlawful. "The man was beaten up and robbed while performing his public duty. Even the attacker admits it," Mr Egorov has stated.