The accused in the “Case of Crimean Terrorists” will be tried in Rostov-on-Don

Last night, Oleksandr Kolchenko, a defendant in the "case of Crimean terrorists", was charged. The same episode - participation in the arson of the office of United Russia in Simferopol - was qualified by the investigation both under part 2 of article 205.4 (participation in a terrorist community) and point "a" of part 2 of article 205 of the Criminal Code (a terrorist attack committed by an organized group). Kolchenko's lawyer, Svetlana Sidorkina, told OVD-Info that she consults with fellow lawyers in order to understand how legal dual qualifications are. Kolchenko admits his participation in the arson, but does not agree with the qualification of arson under such harsh articles. Sidorkina says that she has not yet received the case file, so she does not know what evidence the investigation has collected.

According to Sidorkina, the process in this case will begin, presumably, in the summer in the Rostov district military court. In the dock will be Kolchenko and the alleged "terrorist organizer" Oleg Sentsov. Whether Aleksey Chirniy, a defendant in the case cooperating with the investigation, will be tried with them, Sidorkina does not know, because she has no connection with his lawyers. Another Crimean arrested in this case, Gennady Afanasiev, agreed to a special order and has already received 7 years in prison.

Sidorkina does not count on an exchange between Russia and Ukraine, in which Kolchenko could be exchanged for some Russian arrested in Ukraine or a Donbass separatist. In her opinion, the Ukrainian authorities behave incorrectly, all the time talking only about Nadezhda Savchenko and Oleg Sentsov. Kolchenko, who is not a famous person, is not of interest to Ukrainian politicians. According to Sidorkina, Ukraine should also fight for Afanasiev and Chirniy. They are the same citizens of Ukraine, even though the FSB managed to take them under control.