Photo:
RIA Novosti
Podolsky district court of Kyiv on Thursday will begin consideration of the merits of the criminal case against abducted by the security Service of Ukraine (SBU) on the border with Crimea Russian soldier Alexander Baranov, who was charged with treason and desertion from the ranks of the Ukrainian army.
Will read the charges
The case against Baranov lasted for three months. Previously held three preliminary meetings, the last on April 27. According to their results, the court appointed the case for hearing on the merits.
Tuesday’s meeting is scheduled for 16.30 (same as GMT). It is expected that the state prosecution in the face of the military Prosecutor starts to read out the indictment in the case. Examine witnesses and examine evidence on this trial is not planned.
As expected, he Baranov will take part in court via videoconference from the Kiev prison where is being detained. He agreed to this option at the suggestion of the judges at the previous meeting to expedite consideration of the case. In the future the sheep has the right to demand participation in the trial directly from the courtroom.
This time his interests in court will represent a new lawyer Valentina Makarenko, which was given to him at the last meeting as a free lawyer from the state. Before that, defendant had withdrawn his previous defenders – Yuri Grigorenko and Roman, Evcenko due to the lack of the ability to pay for their services.
The point
Sheep together with his colleague Maxim Odintsov was detained by the SBU on 20 November 2016 in the Kherson region on the border with Crimea. The Russian defense Ministry has described the arrest of Russian military personnel as a kidnapping. The source of RIA Novosti news Agency later said that the SBU has lured Russian contract to the checkpoint “Dzhankoi” allegedly for the transfer of documents on higher education, where he was detained. Russian President Vladimir Putin called the detention of the military “treachery”.
The head of the security service of Ukraine Vasily Gritsak has declared that the sheep and Odintsov was detained by Ukrainian law enforcement officers lawfully within open criminal proceedings. According to investigators, the military in 2014 after joining the Crimea to Russia defected from the ranks of the Ukrainian army and committing treason, entered the service in the Russian army. Case Odintsov parallel is seen in the Darnytsia district court of Kyiv.
Crimea became a Russian region after held there in March 2014 referendum in which 96.77% of voters of the Republic of Crimea and 95.6% of residents of Sevastopol voted for joining Russia. Crimean authorities held a referendum after a coup in Ukraine in February 2014. Ukraine still considers Crimea its but temporarily occupied territory. The Russian leadership has repeatedly stated that the inhabitants of Crimea democratically in full compliance with international law and the UN Charter voted for reunification with Russia. According to the Russian President, the question of Crimea “closed permanently”.