"This is the first court in my life"

The leader of the St. Petersburg Parnassus Andrei Pivovarov on his criminal prosecution and participation in the September election

On April 19, the Leninsky District Court of Kostroma considers the case against the co-chair of the Parnassus party in St. Petersburg Andrei Pivovarov. He is accused of unlawful access to computer information and giving a bribe to an official during an election campaign in the summer of 2015.

According to investigators, Andrei Pivovarov, who headed the headquarters of the democratic coalition in Kostroma, illegally gained access to the database of the Ministry of Internal Affairs with the passport data of the residents of the region and checked them with the information indicated in the signature sheets. Access to the database, according to the investigation, was provided by Andrei Pivovarova by police officer Alexei Nikonorov, who also charged in this case. The investigation believes that for this "service" Nikonorov received a bribe of 50 thousand rubles from Pivovarov.

On July 27, 2015, Andrei Pivovarov and Alexei Nikonorov were detained, and then arrested for two months. At the end of September, both of the court changed the measure of restraint - the policeman Nikonorov was transferred under house arrest, and Pivovarov was released on bail . Both deny guilt. Now Andrei Pivovarov is located in St. Petersburg and intends to participate in the elections to the State Duma of Russia according to the Parnas lists. According to the activist, the evidence base in the case against him is "very weak." He hopes that the court will pass an acquittal.

At a meeting on April 19, Andrei Pivovarov and Alexei Nikonorov read out the charge, after which the court moved to the study of evidence. This stage of the process takes place closed, since during the proceedings the personal data of citizens will sound. The public and journalists will be allowed to the courtroom only during the last words of Andrei Pivovarov and Alexei Nikonorov.

The leader of the St. Petersburg Parnassus Andrei Pivovarov on his criminal prosecution and participation in the September election

“This is the first court in my life, I never participated in the criminal process, especially as the accused,” explains Andrei Pivovarov . - Now our task will be to declare our position. I will declare that I consider myself innocent, I declare defenders, witnesses in the case, whom we consider to be important to invite. I suspect that we will find out a list of witnesses whom the prosecutor's office plans to interrogate, and we will understand the meeting schedule (so far it is known about meetings on April 19, 20 and 21 - RS) . I suppose, but I can’t be sure that it will not be three days, it will be a longer process, that is, Kostroma will have to come several times. We plan to declare defenders and witnesses not only on the case file, but also characterizing me.

As you remember, at the beginning of the court, when the preventive measure was still chosen, there were characteristics for me, which was provided by the Petersburg police, that I am an extremist, the leader of the extremist group Parnas. I also plan to recapture these things by inviting quite famous people who could characterize me from a good point of view. I also plan to petition for the introduction of the characteristics that my colleagues, friends, people with whom I intersected at work and social activities gathered. In particular, I signed the characteristics of the deputies of the St. Petersburg Zaks (Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg.-RS) Boris Vishnevsky and Maxim Reznik, about 7-10 public organizations, work colleagues. There were more people who were ready to provide me with support, but I thought that the court would not consider more than 10-12 characteristics.

- What is the essence of the accusations against you and what is your position on them?

Neither the Leninsky district court nor the Sverdlovsk District Court wanted to take this case. I can assume that this is due to the fact that judges understand that the evidence base in the case is very weak

- I do not recognize these accusations and intends to prove this case in court. Each time, at the investigation stage, we will apply for the termination of the case, because the case file does not have data on the commission of a crime. I am accused of two articles of the Criminal Code. The first is the 272nd article, which suggests that I flooded, copied or modified the closed information base. We provided several characteristics, including independent ones, the same data gave two of the three examinations that ordered the investigation that prove that there is no corpus delicti under this article in the case file.

The second article is the 291st, giving a bribe to an official according to which all testimonies are based on the testimony of one witness, who is a relative of a member of the Investigative Committee. He was first interrogated, he gave only evidence, a month later he was interrogated again, he gave the same testimony. Then he was taken to the IVS for two days, and, apparently, fearing that he would be enclosed in a pre -trial detention center for two months, he gave other testimonies where he stipulated me and the police officer. Based on these testimonies of one person, the whole charge is built on the second article. Neither I nor the police officer Nikonorov gave any testimony, and I hope that in court we will find out all this. Although, of course, I would like to do this in the investigation, because there is no composition under this article. It seems to me that this is indirectly confirmed by how the court began. He was supposed to begin in January, but neither the Leninsky District Court, which will consider, nor the Sverdlovsk District Court, where they tried to transfer this case, did not want to take it. I can assume that this is due to the fact that judges understand that the evidence base in the case is very weak.

- And the police officer Alexei Nikonorov will also be in court?

- Certainly! We have only materials, I have two articles, Nikonorov generally has three articles. The 286th is added an article (exceeding official powers.-RS) . Nikonorov also speaks of his innocence.

- When you were arrested, last summer, a rather powerful public campaign began, which led to the fact that you were released from the pre -trial detention center. Now attracting attention to this case is also necessary? Or, from your point of view, there is a chance that if there is no such attention, maybe the court will make a decision in your favor?

- If we are talking about the objectivity of the case, the court is obliged to make an acquittal and close the case for the lack of corpus delicti. I believe that the more public attention to this case will be, the more likely that the court will be objective and make a fair decision. Therefore, I believe that information support and support of my colleagues, public organizations will be extremely useful. And that time, I think, only thanks to the support of people, the campaign that people in different cities were led, often even unfamiliar to me, in fact, a preventive measure was changed. If support is also provided now, I think there will be more chances for a favorable outcome for me.

- Do you have an opinion, why was this business initiated at all?

These were one of the most high -profile elections at that time. Kostroma was the only region where the list was registered

- Here, of course, a lot can be diluted here. At that time, I was the leader of the Parnassus Party Party’s campaign headquarters in the elections. These were one of the most high -profile elections at that time. Kostroma was the only region where the list was registered. I can assume that still one of the goals was to weaken the elected headquarters. And plus everything, it was very successful, it was possible to use it against the party: they say, the head of the election headquarters is in jail. Perhaps it was such a difficult case to beat off the accusations, the loud investigations that took place during the campaign.

- You are going to participate in this election campaign in the State Duma, you will run, I understand correctly?

- Yes. I consider myself innocent, so it would be strange for me not to take advantage of my suffrage. If I considered myself guilty, it would not be worth advance. I hope to get an excuse in court, I consider myself innocent, and why should I abandon the opportunity to advance and support the ideas that I share?

- But in this regard, no additional pressure is on you?

- I am now under the pledge, and, of course, I check each of my step in order not to violate the preventive measure and not allowing me to question my actions. Therefore, I am more restrained, more careful. But in general, I have the right to nominate, and before the sentence enters into force, if he is accusatory, I have the right to enjoy my suffrage, ”concludes Andrei Pivovarov.

Under the accusations, the St. Petersburg activist faces up to eight years in prison and large fines. The Human Rights Center "Memorial" included it on the list of pursued for political reasons .