A patrol officer in south Siberia has been...

The 19-year-old student was admitted to hospital in the Altai Territory town of Rubtsovskye with serious head injuries on December 27 and died five days later.

A 31-year-old patrol officer has been charged with attacking the student. Investigators say the officer kicked and punched the deceased during celebrations ahead of New Year at a youth centre in the town.

The reputation of the Russian police force hit a new low in November 2009, when the country"s Interior Minister stated that citizens had the right to defend themselves if attacked by law enforcement officers.

Rashid Nurgaliyev was speaking at a meeting with students just days after police officers in both Moscow and St. Petersburg were detained on suspicion of beating innocent people to death.

"If the citizen is not a criminal who is being detained and has not broken any laws...if he is being attacked, self-defense is applicable here," the minster said in response to a question on rising police

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