The sixth attempt

The Primorsky Regional Court for the sixth time was unable to form a jury collegium to revise the case of two “Primorsky partisans”

Recall that in April 2014, in the Primorsky Regional Court, convicts were announced to six participants in the Partizan gang (two more died during the detention in 2010 - according to the adopted version, committed suicide). The defendants were found guilty of the murder of two policemen, four "drug bacilli" from the Kirovsky district of Primorye, as well as in robberies, robberies, thefts, storage of weapons, etc.

The convicts appealed the verdict in the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. In May 2015, a small sensation occurred - the Sun, considering the guilt of the defendants in several episodes unproven, revised the sentences to all the “partisans” towards the softening. So, Alexander Kovtun was replaced by a lifelong opinion by 25 years, Vladimir Ilyutikova-by 24 years in a maximum security colony, Maxim Kirillov was reduced by the length of stay in a colony of strict regime from 22 to 19 years old, Roman Savchenko-from 25 to 24. In relation to Alexei Nikitin (received a lifelong one by the sentence) and Vadim Kovtun (was sentenced to the most mild punishment - eight years and two months) sentences were canceled and the cases were sent for a new consideration again to the Primorsky regional court. A preventive measure was chosen in custody.

This is the newest consideration now and cannot begin: six attempts to form a jury collegium turned out to be unsuccessful due to the insufficient number of applicants. According to the press secretary of the court Nina Bulanova, the next meeting is scheduled for December 10. By the way, at the first process of the partisan, the jury was created only on the sixth attempt.

By a decision of the regional court, Vadim Kovtun and Alexei Nikitin were found guilty of the murder of four residents of the Kirovsky village, who were engaged in drug trafficking. It was this sentence that was canceled: the Supreme Court considered the partisan’s participation in this crime unproven. Interestingly, Vadim Kovtun was the only convict who did not appeal his sentence. He is the only one who was not recognized as a member of the gang, but nevertheless recognized as an accomplice in the murder of those same addictions (he brought partisan by car to the crime scene). Vadim himself claimed that he was in this story by accident: “I was hung with the label of the“ Primorsky partisan ”, but I am a completely different person ...”.

The abolition of the higher instance of life terms and softening, albeit insignificant, sentences to all the defendants in the case, forces to once again think about the good faith of the investigation and objectivity of the trial. How can you not recall the numerous scandals related to the “Primorsky Partisans' Cases”: either the defendants will complain about torture, then the case file will disappear directly from the court ... Shortly before the sentence, the lawyer of Roman Savchenko Alexander Smolsky said: during the process there were so many oddities that this does not allow us to talk about the triumph of justice.

At the very beginning, a lot said that the guys were brought to crimes “lawmakers” from the Kirov police, but then the “facts were not confirmed”. There were also statements by the ex-head of the Primorsky Ministry of Internal Affairs of Nikolaev about “caches with radical literature”-they are also forgotten for a long time. The case is depolitized and filed as an ordinary criminal with purely selfish motifs.

And now, taking into account the decision of the Supreme Court, it turns out that the murder of four residents of Kirovsky “partisans” has not been proved at least, or maybe simply “hung” on them?

Speaking with the last word on the eve of the sentence, the “partisans” stated that they were not guilty of a number of crimes imputed by him. It was argued that the most grave deeds were committed by the late Andrei Sukhorada and Alexander Sweet. Then only Alexander Kovtun did not call for leniency and only asked to transfer the money seized from him by the widow of the murdered policeman (he admitted that he shot at the policemen and even wounded one of them, but did not kill). The rest spoke of their innocence - complete or partial.

So, Vadim Kovtun asked him to justify him at all points of the prosecution, adding: “If a conviction was sentenced, I ask you to take into account that my role, based on the case file, seems secondary and insignificant.” Nikitin and Savchenko also asked for excuses on all points. Savchenko pleaded guilty of the same theft and said: “In the investigation, I stipulated myself and other participants ... I stipulated myself because ... those places where interrogations were carried out, there, roughly speaking, just uncles go for myself, what to talk about us.” Ilyutikov said: “I did not kill anyone. I ask you to appoint me a punishment of imprisonment for a certain period and take into account the fact that I surrendered voluntarily. ” Kirillov asked to take into account “all those difficult circumstances in the village of Kirovsky, which served as a motivation for emergency” ...

Then these statements were perceived as a clear desire of the defendants to avoid responsibility. Now, it turns out that their partial validity was confirmed by the Supreme Court.