Russian police assault 15-year-old mistakenly identified by facial recognition system

Police in Moscow detained and beat a 15-year-old in early May after facial recognition software mistakenly matched him to a wanted suspect, journalist and socialite Ksenia Sobchak reported, citing the boy’s father. The teenager was left with a concussion, a closed head injury, and multiple bruises and abrasions.

According to the boy’s father, two police officers approached the teenager from behind, knocked him to the ground and beat him before taking him to a police station. The boy told the officers he was 15 and asked them to contact his parents, but his requests were ignored. The family says the officers threatened to kill him and subjected him to further violence on the way to the station, where he was told he was suspected of distributing drugs.

The boy’s mother learned of his detention only two hours later. Police told her that facial recognition software had found an 85–90% match between her son’s appearance and that of a wanted man. The teenager was released into his mother’s custody after questioning.

Police have offered a different account, claiming the boy tried to flee, resisted arrest and injured officers, which they said was why they used “combat techniques” against him. One officer involved in the detention later attributed the incident to “human error” and staff shortages. The boy’s parents dispute this account, saying security camera footage shows the two men attacking their son first.

The family has filed a complaint with Russia’s Investigative Committee. The father says the inquiry into the officers’ conduct has now dragged on for four months, with authorities yet to inform the family of any findings.