Inquiry Backs Police in Prisoner’s Death

A prisoner whose death in Uzbek custody sparked a high-level investigation hanged himself, as authorities had said, and his body showed no signs of serious torture, international experts concluded.

Andrei Shelkovenko, 36, died May 19 in a holding cell at a police station in his hometown of Gazalkent.

The family and international human rights groups called for an independent investigation, saying that marks on his body might have been evidence of torture.

Dr. Michael Pollanen, who observed a second autopsy, said the alleged injuries “were related to understandable misinterpretations of changes that occur in all bodies after death.”