Alyona Topolyanskaya 

A criminal investigation has been launched into the police beating of 62-year-old Yekaterinburg Conservatory professor, - according to a Live Journal post made by his lawyer Vasiliy Fedorovich.

Sergey Beloglazov, a pianist and professor sustained heavy hand injuries when he was beaten on February 2 , by a police officer, for not carrying an identification document -  Fedorovich wrote.

RIA Novosti reports that the Sverdlovsk region police department has issued a statement, saying they are investigating the incident.

Beloglazov was on his way home from a nearby store. He was approached by an officer, who demanded to see his identification, which Beloglazov did not have.  Law obliges all Russians to carry identification document known as internal passport with a special stamp specifying place of residence. Allegedly, the officer swore at the professor, pushed him down and proceeded to beat him, while shouting obscenities at him.

"As he was beating me, "Beloglazov told his lawyer, "He kept saying no [Interior Minister Rashid] Nurgaliev was going to save me."

The pianist was held at a local police station for over two hours, where he says he was robbed of his cell phone and petty cash. Before releasing him, the police officers warned Beloglazov not to tell anyone about the beating, or they would kill him.

Beloglazov later went to another police station, where his complaint was rejected.  He then proceeded to file a complaint with the local Prosecutor's office.

According to his lawyer, the pianist is seeking treatment for his hand injuries - he fears he may have to cancel several scheduled performances.

Yelena Fedorovich, deputy head of local conservatory where Beloglazov is teaching piano, said they were preparing appeals to the Minister of Culture, regional governor and presidential envoys over the incident.  "This is a horrendous incident," she said.