Central Russia: police raid on Romani family

05 January 1999

The Moscow-based organisation Romano Kher reported a recent case of police abuse of Roma in the town of Kamehskovo, Vladimir region (central Russia). The information was made available to Romano Kher by Romani attorney Aleksander Molchanov who took on the defence of the victims.

According to the lawyer's report, on October 6, 1998, two brothers — Aleksandr and Vasilij Maksimov — stopped at a petrol station. There, traffic policeman Ershov approached them and demanded 500 roubles (approximately 20 USD) in fines for an unspecified traffic violation. The fact that the brothers did not have the required sum enraged the policeman. In the course of the quarrel that followed, Aleksandr pushed the policeman who in turn hit him in the eye with his fist, leaving a bruise.

The brothers had finally agreed to pay the money and went home to collect the required sum. As they went through their gate they were attacked by more policemen who had arrived in several cars earlier. The policemen started to beat the brothers and members of their families. They broke into their house and continued the pogrom. The badly beaten Maximov brothers were hand-cuffed and taken to the police station, interrogated and detained.

At the police station the brothers testified about the beatings they had suffered from the police earlier. Later they reported that in detention they had been beaten by the police and asked to withdraw the testimony of the raid.

Aleksandr and Vasilij Maksimov are facing charges of resisting arrest and physical action against the police. They are currently being investigated by the police.

According to attorney-at-law Molchanov, such raids, degrading treatment and beatings of Roma by the police are a regular occurrence in the region. (Romano Kher)