Prosecutors have revealed 66 hidden cases of police abuse in the central Russian republic of Tatarstan, just weeks after a man died in custody there.
Criminal proceeding have been launched into the cases, Deputy Prosecutor General Sergei Zaitsev said during a meeting in the region's main city of Kazan on Monday.
Zaitsev said 65 people had contacted prosecutors over alleged police abuse, a statement on the web site of the Prosecutor General's Office said.
Human rights activists often accuse Russian police of extracting false confessions by force.
Last month, Kazan resident Sergei Nazarov died in custody after allegedly being sexually assaulted with a champaigne bottle. The case caused outrage and led to street protests in the city.
Five policemen were later arrested over the death and their police station disbanded.
Last week, Investigative Committee head Alexander Bastrykin said he considered setting up a special department to deal with police brutality.
Russian Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev has condemned the incident, describing every such case as an "emergency."