Assistant judge of the Khamovnichesky Court of Moscow Natalya Vasilyeva, who made a statement in February about pressure from the Moscow City Court on judge Viktor Danilkin in the “YUKOS case,” returned from vacation on Friday, March 17. She plans to take sick leave in the near future.

Let us recall that Vasilyeva made sensational statements about the political nature of the second criminal case against Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedeva on February 14. According to her, the 14-year prison term to which the former Yukos executives were sentenced by Danilkin on December 30 was a decision that was actually imposed on the chairman of the Khamovnichesky Court by a higher authority. The Moscow City Court called this version a provocation, and Danilkin himself accused his assistant of libel, threatening to file a libel suit after considering the cassation filed by the lawyers of Khodorkovsky and Lebedev.

“Today I arrived at work at eight o’clock, since the train arrived early. But I don’t feel well and plan to take sick leave,” RIA Novosti quotes Vasilyeva . The assistant judge intends to go home today due to poor health. She did not specify what exactly it means.

Vasilyeva also confirmed that she will continue to serve as an assistant judge. According to her, on Friday the deputy chairman of the Khamovnichesky Court spoke with her, who told her that she was being placed at the disposal of Judge Efimova.

Vasilyeva admitted that her colleagues greeted her coldly. “My colleagues greeted me coldly. However, I have not yet met Viktor Danilkin. He didn’t come to work today,” added the assistant judge.

According to her, she was not offered to resign, but they hinted at it. “I heard the following phrase: “We can’t fire you, but if you can work with what you did, then work,” Vasilyeva noted, emphasizing that in the time that has passed since the scandalous interview about the Khodorkovsky case, threats to her no address received.

“Immediately after the interview, I left for Kostroma, then I took a trip to Thailand, from where I returned last night. At the same time, I left my phones at home, so I couldn’t answer any calls,” said the assistant judge.

On Wednesday, the Moscow City Court announced that Vasilyeva was relieved of her duties as press attache of the Khamovnichesky Court - she performed these functions temporarily while court press secretary Milentina Kapustkina was busy at the trial in the “YUKOS case.”

Natalya Vasilyeva returned to work at the Khamovnichesky Court after her vacation