Debate on the UNA-UNSO case

On May 17, the debate of the parties in the UNA-UNSO case, which has already been postponed twice, is to take place in the Supreme Court of Chechnya. Ukrainians Nikolai Karpyuk and Stanislav Klykh are accused of participating in the Chechen war on the side of the separatists. Member of the leadership of UNA-UNSO Karpyuk is charged with part 1 of article 209 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of a gang), and the Kyiv teacher and journalist Klykh is charged with part 2 of the same article (participation in a gang). In addition, both were charged with paragraphs "c", "h", "n" of Article 102 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR (premeditated murder of two or more persons in connection with the performance of their official duty, committed by prior conspiracy by a group of persons; sanction up to the death penalty) and part 2 articles 15 - paragraphs "c", "h", "n" of article 102 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR (attempt to commit the same crime).

The proceedings on the merits of the UNA-UNSO case began on October 26, 2015. The case is heard by a jury. At the same time, the defendants themselves do not participate in the hearings: at different times, Ismailov removed them from the courtroom for the entire duration of the trial, before the debate of the parties began.

According to the prosecution, in December 1994 - January 1995, Karpyuk, Klykh and other members of the "gangs" fought with the Russian military in Grozny on the territory of the presidential palace, as well as on Minutka Square and the railway station. Karpiuk is said to have led a "gang" called "Viking" and Klykh was a member of it. During these battles, according to the prosecutor's office, they "killed at least 30 servicemen and at least 13 servicemen inflicted injuries of varying severity." Both defendants are charged with participation in the second Chechen war.

As a result of torture and bullying, Klykh began to have breakdowns in custody. During the meetings, he repeatedly showed signs of a mental disorder. Dubrovina succeeded in sending her client for a psychological examination, but the examination found him healthy. At the same time, since mid-February, Klykha in the Grozny pre-trial detention center began to be forced to take some unknown drugs and injections.

On April 5, it became known that a case had been opened against Klykh for insulting prosecutor S. Yunusov. When Yunusov began to prove the need for further detention of the defendants in a pre-trial detention center, Klykh "did not let him speak, interrupting the prosecutor with insults addressed to him."

On April 13, testimonies were read out at the trial that cast doubt on the participation of the key witness for the prosecution, Alexander Malofeev, in the first and second Chechen wars. The ex-wife of the witness said that she had never heard that Malofeev fought anywhere and received gunshot wounds. His stepfather, in turn, stated that the wound, which Malofeev himself spoke of during the investigation and trial as received in the war, was in fact received by him while stealing metal.