MOSCOW, January 9 - RAPSI. Two suspects in the Moscow Bolotnaya Square riots case have filed a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) claiming to have been tortured, attorney Dmitry Agranovsky told the Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI/rapsinews.com) on Wednesday.
The two men stand accused on various counts relating to the anti-Putin riots that rocked central Moscow last May.
Suspects Vladimir Akimenkov and Yaroslav Belousov claim that the government violated Article 3 (prohibition of torture) and Article 5 (right to liberty and security) of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.
The attorney added that contrary to the statements made by the prosecutor's office, Akimenkov and Belousov did not tear off the clothing worn by police officers, or hit or choke them.
Earlier, media reported that Akimenkov was losing his eyesight in an investigative isolation ward.
The Federal Penitentiary Service reported that there are no grounds to release Akimenkov.
Akimenkov was detained on June 10, 2012. He has been charged with participating in the mass riots on Bolotnaya Square on May 6, a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
President Vladimir Putin promised to study Akimenkov's case at a news conference in December.
An officially sanctioned opposition march across Moscow led to clashes with the police on May 6. Dozens of protesters and police officers were injured. The police detained over 400 rally participants.
After May 6, the opposition continued its protests in the form of "people's promenades," wherein crowds of opposition activists walked peacefully together through the city in a show of opposition.
In June, investigators searched the homes of various organizers and participants who were involved in the planning of the protest that ultimately spiraled into a riot, including those of Alexei Navalny, Sergei Udaltsov, Ilya Yashin, and Boris Nemtsov.
A total of 16 individuals were detained in the investigation.