Fabricated Evidence and Fair Jury Trials

Fabricated Evidence and Fair Jury Trials

The Russian Fight Against Terrorism: Case Studies from Dagestan

Author(s): Alexei Trochev
Editor(s): Matthias Neumann, Robert Orttung, Jeronim Perovic, Heiko Pleines, Hans-Henning Schröder
Series: Russian Analytical Digest (RAD)
Issue: 2
Pages: 7-9
Publisher(s): Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zurich; Research Centre for East European Studies, University of Bremen
Publication Year: 2006

In several high-profile terrorism cases, Dagestani judges and juries have failed to convict suspected terrorists brought to trial by the authorities. In a system that once found nearly everyone brought to trail guilty, this outcome is unexpected. These cases show that Russian law does matter: juries and judges are throwing out terrorism cases with obvious police torture. They also show how the police and the prosecutors tend to make up cases.