ation to exercise exemplary diligence and promptness in dealing with such a serious crime (see Paul and Audrey Edwards v. the United Kingdom, No. 46477/99, § 86, ECHR 2002-II).
96. The Court also notes that even though the first applicant was granted victim status on 5 November 2002, she was only informed of the suspension and reopening of the proceedings, and not of any other significant developments. Accordingly, the investigators failed to ensure that the investigation and its results received the required level of public scrutiny. Nor did they safeguard the interests of the next-of-kin in the proceedings.
97. Finally, the Court notes that the investigation was suspended at least five times, that there were lengthy periods of inactivity and that on several occasions the supervising prosecutors pointed out the deficiencies in the proceedings and ordered measures to remedy them, but that their instructions were not complied with.
98. In the light of the foregoing, the Court finds that the authorities failed to carry out an effective criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Saidkhasan Dangayev. This rendered recourse to the domestic remedies, whether civil or criminal, equally ineffective in the circumstances. The Court accordingly rejects the Government's preliminary objection in this respect and holds that there has been a violation of Article 2 under its procedural aspect.
V. Alleged violation of Article 3 of the Convention
99. The applicants further complained that as a result of the killing of their close relative they had endured mental suffering in breach of Article 3 of the Convention. They also complained under this head that Saidkhasan Dangayev had been beaten before being killed. Article 3 reads:
"No one shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment."
A. The parties' submissions
100. The applicants repeated their submissions.
101. The Government disagreed with their allegations and argued that the investigation had not established that the applicants and Saidkhasan Dangayev had been subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment prohibited by Article 3 of the Convention.
B. The Court's assessment
(a) The complaint concerning the ill-treatment of Saidkhasan Dangayev
102. The Court reiterates that allegations of ill-treatment must be supported by appropriate evidence. To assess this evidence, the Court adopts the standard of proof "beyond reasonable doubt" but adds that such proof may follow from the coexistence of sufficiently strong, clear and concordant inferences or of similar unrebutted presumptions of fact (see Ireland v. the United Kingdom, cited above, pp. 64 - 65, § 161 in fine).
103. The Court observes that the documents before it indicate that Saidkhasan Dangayev sustained two gunshot wounds on 23 October 2002 which led to his death later that day. In addition, it does not appear that this complaint has been properly raised before the domestic authorities. The Court is therefore unable to establish, to the necessary standard of proof, that Saidkhasan Dangayev was ill-treated by Russian servicemen, and finds that this complaint has not been substantiated.
104. It follows that this part of the application is manifestly ill-founded and should be rejected in accordance with Article 35 §§ 3 and 4 of the Convention.
(b) The complaint concerning the applicants' mental suffering
1. Admissibility
105. The Court notes that this part of the complaint under Article 3 of the Convention is not manifestly ill-founded within the meaning of Article 35 § 3 of the Convention. It further notes that it is not inadmissible on any other grounds. It must therefore be declared admissible.
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