A man died in Russia’s Sakha Republic after a radiator to which police handcuffed him burst, according to a statement posted by Russia’s Investigative Committee on Wednesday.
Activists launched a campaign against police brutality and prison torture after several high-profile cases earlier this year. A 2017 poll found that a quarter of Russians say they have witnessed or experienced beatings carried out by police or medical staff.
The 47-year-old victim had been detained by a policeman on ‘minor hooliganism’ charges on the evening of Oct. 22 and handcuffed to a heating radiator in the local administration building, where the officer left him overnight.
The man was found dead on the following morning due to thermal shock after the radiator pipe reportedly exploded, according to preliminary data.
The local branch of the Investigative Committee has launched a probe into the incident.
