Sergei Lapin
Encyclopedia
Sergei Lapin, also known by his radio communications call sign
Kadet ("Cadet
"), is a former Russia
n police officer
who had served in Grozny
, Chechnya
as a Lieutenant
in the OMON
(special police detachment) from the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug
. He has been convicted for the torture
and "disappearance" of a Chechen student.
published an article in Novaya Gazeta
newspaper called "The Disappearing People", in which she wrote about the allegations connecting Sergei Lapin and his OMON colleagues to the torture of Zelimkhan Murdalov
. Following the publication of this article, Politkovskaya received two letters containing threats to her life, apparently written by Lapin. The Office of the Procurator
of the city of Nizhnevartovsk
in Khanty-Mansyski region opened a criminal investigation in October 2001 into Lapin’s involvement in threatening the safety of Politkovskaya and the investigation had been reportedly closed and renewed at least nine times.
On October 7, 2006 Anna Politkovskaya was shot dead in Moscow, bringing suspicions upon Lapin and his colleagues.
. However, according to reports, he was first dismissed from OMON, but later reinstated as a police officer
in the city of Nizhnevartovsk
. Reportedly, Lapin was also awarded a medal "for protecting public order" accompanied by a letter signed by the President of Russia Vladimir Putin
.
On March 29, 2005, in a rare ruling, court in Grozny found Lapin guilty of abusing authority and torturing Murdalov (including the use of electric shock
s and dogs) and sentenced him to 11 years' imprisonment. On release, he will be banned from working for agencies under the MVD for three years. In addition, the court sent a special ruling to the head of the Khanty-Mansyski OMON, criticising the conduct of the OMON unit serving in Chechnya in broader terms. Another sentence, of 10.5 years in prison, was passed on him on November 27, 2007. In his last plea
to the court, Lapin did not plead guilty and regretted that he had appeared for the trial in 2003. After Lapin's sentencing, several other Nizhnevartovsk policemen were also reportedly charged.
Call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
Kadet ("Cadet
Cadet
A cadet is a trainee to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. The term comes from the term "cadet" for younger sons of a noble family.- Military context :...
"), is a former Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
who had served in Grozny
Grozny
Grozny is the capital city of the Chechen Republic, Russia. The city lies on the Sunzha River. According to the preliminary results of the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 271,596; up from 210,720 recorded in the 2002 Census. but still only about two-thirds of 399,688 recorded in the 1989...
, Chechnya
Chechnya
The Chechen Republic , commonly referred to as Chechnya , also spelled Chechnia or Chechenia, sometimes referred to as Ichkeria , is a federal subject of Russia . It is located in the southeastern part of Europe in the Northern Caucasus mountains. The capital of the republic is the city of Grozny...
as a Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the OMON
OMON
OMOH is a generic name for the system of special units of militsiya within the Russian and earlier the Soviet MVD...
(special police detachment) from the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug
Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug
Khanty–Mansi Autonomous Okrug , also known as Yugra, is a federal subject of Russia . Population: The people native to the region are the Khanty and the Mansi, known collectively as Ob Ugric people...
. He has been convicted for the torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
and "disappearance" of a Chechen student.
Politkovskaya death threats investigations
In September 2001, journalist Anna PolitkovskayaAnna Politkovskaya
Anna Stepanovna Politkovskaya was a Russian journalist, author, and human rights activist known for her opposition to the Chechen conflict and then-President of Russia Vladimir Putin...
published an article in Novaya Gazeta
Novaya Gazeta
Novaya Gazeta is a Russian newspaper well known in the country for its critical and investigative coverage of Russian political and social affairs....
newspaper called "The Disappearing People", in which she wrote about the allegations connecting Sergei Lapin and his OMON colleagues to the torture of Zelimkhan Murdalov
Zelimkhan Murdalov
Zelimkhan Murdalov was a 26-year-old student from Grozny, Chechnya, who left his home on January 2, 2001, saying he would be back soon, but did not return. His parents tracked him down at the police station, where an official promised that he would soon be released, but they have not seen their son...
. Following the publication of this article, Politkovskaya received two letters containing threats to her life, apparently written by Lapin. The Office of the Procurator
Procurator (Russia)
Procurator , was an office initially created by Peter the Great, the first Emperor of the Russian Empire, in an effort to bring the Russian Orthodox Church more directly under his control.The Russian word prokuror also has the meaning of prosecutor....
of the city of Nizhnevartovsk
Nizhnevartovsk
Nizhnevartovsk is the second largest city in Khanty–Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Russia, located along the right bank of the Ob River. Population: 251,860 ; 239,044 ;...
in Khanty-Mansyski region opened a criminal investigation in October 2001 into Lapin’s involvement in threatening the safety of Politkovskaya and the investigation had been reportedly closed and renewed at least nine times.
On October 7, 2006 Anna Politkovskaya was shot dead in Moscow, bringing suspicions upon Lapin and his colleagues.
Torture trials
In January 2002, Sergei Lapin was arrested and charged in connection with the allegations of torture of Zelimkhan Murdalov in detention. Lapin was released pending trial in May 2003 because he was found not to be threatening to the public safety. His trial began in Grozny at the end of 2003, and at first he reportedly has not attended any of the hearings because he claimed he suffered a mental illnessMental illness
A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioural,...
. However, according to reports, he was first dismissed from OMON, but later reinstated as a police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
in the city of Nizhnevartovsk
Nizhnevartovsk
Nizhnevartovsk is the second largest city in Khanty–Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Russia, located along the right bank of the Ob River. Population: 251,860 ; 239,044 ;...
. Reportedly, Lapin was also awarded a medal "for protecting public order" accompanied by a letter signed by the President of Russia Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
.
On March 29, 2005, in a rare ruling, court in Grozny found Lapin guilty of abusing authority and torturing Murdalov (including the use of electric shock
Electric shock
Electric Shock of a body with any source of electricity that causes a sufficient current through the skin, muscles or hair. Typically, the expression is used to denote an unwanted exposure to electricity, hence the effects are considered undesirable....
s and dogs) and sentenced him to 11 years' imprisonment. On release, he will be banned from working for agencies under the MVD for three years. In addition, the court sent a special ruling to the head of the Khanty-Mansyski OMON, criticising the conduct of the OMON unit serving in Chechnya in broader terms. Another sentence, of 10.5 years in prison, was passed on him on November 27, 2007. In his last plea
Plea
In legal terms, a plea is simply an answer to a claim made by someone in a civil or criminal case under common law using the adversary system. Colloquially, a plea has come to mean the assertion by a criminal defendant at arraignment, or otherwise in response to a criminal charge, whether that...
to the court, Lapin did not plead guilty and regretted that he had appeared for the trial in 2003. After Lapin's sentencing, several other Nizhnevartovsk policemen were also reportedly charged.
External links
- Russian Federation: Russian police officer found guilty of crimes against the civilian population in the Chechen Republic, Amnesty InternationalAmnesty InternationalAmnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
, 31 March 2005 - Politkovskaya's Murderers Divided into Three // The police, Putin's opponents and associates of Kadyrov, KommersantKommersantKommersant is a commerce-oriented newspaper published in Russia. , the circulation was 131,000.- History :The newspaper was initially published in 1909, and it was closed down following the Bolshevik seizure of power and the introduction of censorship in 1917.In 1989, with the onset of press...
, Oct. 10, 2006 - Siberian police 'obstructing Politkovskaya murder inquiry', The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, November 6, 2006