The case of Khopr's defenders was returned to the prosecutor's office

On December 20, a court in Voronezh returned the case of Khopra's defenders to the prosecutor's office of the Voronezh region due to lack of evidence. This was reported on the website of the movement in defense of Khopra.

During the meeting, the judge announced the decision of the Deputy Prosecutor General of Russia Viktor Grin, which states that no signs of extortion were found in the actions of the accused Mikhail Bezmensky.

After that, Mikhail Bezmensky's lawyer Vladimir Kuzmichev petitioned to dismiss the case for lack of evidence or to return the case to the prosecutor's office.

The court decided to return the criminal case to the prosecutor's office of the Voronezh region due to insufficient evidence. At the same time, the judge noted that there was no opportunity to approve the indictment due to the lack of evidence in the case and the huge number of procedural violations.

Both defendants will remain under house arrest until the court order enters into force.

Eco-activist Mikhail Bezmensky and Cossack chieftain Igor Zhitenev are accused of extorting 24 million rubles from the Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company (UMMC). In exchange for money, according to the prosecution, they promised to stop rallies against the exploration of the Elanskoye and Elkinskoye copper-nickel deposits in the east of the Voronezh region, conducted in the interests of the UMMC.