The Kirovsky District Court in Yaroslavl granted investigators' request to temporarily suspend regional Interior Ministry officers Anton Kovalenko and Ilya Putintsev from duty. They are charged with abuse of official authority in a case involving violence against spouses Artyom Starkov (a pseudonym) and Natalya Popova. The decision was reported on October 28 by the victims' lawyer, Irina Biryukova, and the human rights project Lyudi Vprave.
According to the couple and their legal representatives, officers stopped their car in August 2025, then used force and demanded information about an acquaintance. The alleged victims say they were beaten, threatened, and humiliated. These details come from their testimony and human rights advocates' accounts; the guilt of individual officers must be determined by a court.
Kovalenko held a senior position in the regional Interior Ministry's internal security unit, where Putintsev served as an operative. The abuse-of-authority case was opened several months after the alleged incident. Another police officer also figured in the case materials.
The court ruling temporarily bars the defendants from carrying out their official duties, but does not amount to their dismissal or a finding of guilt. The criminal investigation into the alleged violence remains ongoing.