Suspect (redirected from Crime suspect)

Suspect 

a person detained on suspicion of having committed a crime or a person to whom a measure of restraint has been applied before the indictment.

Under Soviet law, a person may be detained as a suspect in cases specifically provided for by law (for example, the Criminal Code of the RSFSR, art. 122). A measure of restraint may be applied to a suspect only in exceptional cases. In such an instance, the indictment must be announced within ten days from the moment that the restraining measure is applied; otherwise, the measure of restraint is canceled. The suspect must be questioned within 24 hours of the moment of detention. The interrogation of a suspect is conducted in accordance with the rules for interrogating an accused person (with the exception of the rules concerning the indictment).

The suspect is granted a number of rights to protect himself. He has the right to know what crime he is suspected of committing; to challenge the investigator, the interpreter, or the person conducting the inquiry; to give explanations; and to present evidence. A suspect may be called upon to participate in an inspection, investigatory experiments, or the verification of testimony at the scene of the crime. He may also be subjected, if necessary, to a forensic medical or psychiatric examination by experts. From the moment that an indictment is given, the suspect becomes the accused.