On Friday, July 1, in the Moscow Regional Court, a jury rendered a verdict in the case of the former head of the criminal investigation department of the Dolgoprudny police department , Major Valery Blokhin and his subordinate Alexei Konovalenko. The operatives accused of an attempt on the life of the city prosecutor and a federal judge, as well as abuse of power, were acquitted on all counts.

The day before, during the debate between the parties, Blokhin’s defense spoke out, asking for the defendant to be fully acquitted. The prosecutor asked to find the major guilty on all charges.

The court asked the jury 27 questions regarding the counts. For each of them, the members of the panel had to give an answer about the guilt or innocence of the defendants. At about 2 p.m., the jury retired to the deliberation room.

Based on the number of questions raised and possible disagreements, those gathered in the courtroom expected that the jury would deliver a verdict late in the evening. However, two hours later the assessors came out and announced the complete acquittal of Blokhin and Konovalenko.

10 out of 12 jurors voted to acquit.

During the trial, Valery Blokhin was kept in custody in the Kapotnya pre- trial detention center , and Konovalenko was under recognizance not to leave. And the court released Blokhin immediately after the verdict. As the human rights organization “People's Protection” told Gazeta.Ru, he was triumphantly taken to his hometown, where his wife “had already prepared him holiday potatoes.”

Lawyer Valery Glushenkov explained to Gazeta.Ru that the court will then determine the date of sentencing (according to the law, after the jury’s verdict, the court is obliged to pass a verdict, which in this case can only be acquittal).

Police major, former head of the criminal investigation department of the Department of Internal Affairs of the city of Dolgoprudny Valery Blokhin was charged under six articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, including Part 3, paragraph “a” of Art. 286 (exceeding official powers with the use of violence or the threat of its use), Part 1 of Art. 222 (illegal acquisition, sale, storage, transportation or carrying of weapons, ammunition, explosives and explosive devices), part 2 of article 330 (arbitrariness committed with the use of violence or the threat of its use), part 2 of article 296 (threat or violent actions in connection with the administration of justice committed against a prosecutor, investigator), Part 3 of Article 33 (complicity in organizing a crime, creation of a criminal community and Part 2 of Article 213 (hooliganism with the use of weapons). Blokhin’s subordinate, Senior Lieutenant Alexey Konovalenko was accused under Part 3, Clause “a” of Article 286 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (exceeding official powers).

According to Blokhin, his troubles with his superiors began when, in 1999, his subordinates detained a certain Yashar Askerov with 50 grams of heroin.

In a private conversation with the head of the criminal investigation department, Blokhin, the deputy head of the Department of Internal Affairs, Galimov, asked to release the detainee. The major refused, and Askerov received a prison term. After this incident, Galimov publicly called Valery Blokhin “the leader of the irreconcilable” and promised to sort it out.

“They didn’t tell us in time where not to go,” Konovalenko explained. “With our actions, our work, we interfered with the well-functioning system of receiving funds for a number of managers and their quiet life. The city is small, and everyone here likes to solve problems. Fighting crime is a secondary matter.”

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