ZEK calls the governor to the court

In Vladivostok, ex-deputy Samsonov, sentenced to 13 years, proves the fact of political persecution. This is the first time in the Russian Federation

The first trial in Russia to establish the fact of political persecution began in the Leninsky District Court of Vladivostok on April 22. The statement was submitted by Artem Samsonov, known in Primorye, a politician, a former deputy of the regional legislative assembly. He and his representatives petition the call of the governor of the region Oleg Kozhemyako, the former head of the regional IC Vladimir Fomin, a number of deputies and speaker of the regional parliament, the former vice-governor of the domestic policy of Anton Voloshko.

In November 2021, after the excellent result of the Communist Party and personally Samsonov in the elections in the regional parliament (and two years before the elections of the governor), he was arrested and later convicted. Samsonov was accused of allegedly showing the phalloimitator of the adult company in which the child was present.

Witnesses of the prosecution in his case were confused in the testimony and did not hide a clear hostility towards the defendant. The defense proved (referring to the photo, video, geopolition data, sick leave, media publications, tickets, etc.) that at the indicated time, Samsonov with the father of the boy and the “victim” himself did not meet. But politics was still sentenced to 13 years in a maximum security colony.

Since the main “Samsonov case” concerns the sexual integrity of the child (by the way, the boy was 18 years old recently), most likely, the current process will be closed. Judge Victoria Askerko, during a preliminary hearing, noted that the court needs to receive a sentence and subsequent judicial acts to consider the case at this stage. But this process is not about the cancellation of the decision in the criminal case of Samsonov, but about whether he was subjected to persecution for political reasons.

Initially, the district court refused Samsonov to accept the application, the Primorsky regional court canceled this decision. Political protection emphasizes that

This process is the first one of a kind, and it is not yet clear how it should be correctly carried out and what the consequences will be.

If a miracle occurs and the court sides the applicant, later it will be possible to talk about preferences, benefits. But Samsonov’s side emphasizes that the main task is not this. And not even to recognize the verdict in the main case illegal or unreasonable.

- Still, our task is higher. In the future, we plan to apply to the Commission on Human Rights of the CIS countries, so that they recognize that there is Artem Samsonov in the Russian Federation, in respect of whom a decision was made to recognize the fact of political persecution. So that the interstate organs of the CIS countries react to this. The State Duma deputy Sergei Obukhov appealed to all the Commissioner for the Rights of the Human Rights, so that this issue was considered at the next meeting (at the moment there is no meeting of the meeting), the lawyer says.

The court at the same time insists on calling the regional prosecutor as an interested person in the process of the prosecutor. The prosecutor’s office adds that the SK of the Primorsky Territory should be attracted - as an organ that conducted the investigation.

“The prosecutor of the region,” says Sikach’s lawyer, “cannot act in this process as an interested person.” We are based on our requirements, including on the Law on the rehabilitation of the victims of political repressions of 1991, and we believe that this law is applicable in relation to Samsonov (despite the fact that in essence it relates to events from October 25, 1917, in our opinion, may be applicable to the present). Perhaps because one of the participants in rehabilitation is the prosecutor. However, I note that we do not require rehabilitation - we ask to establish the fact of political persecution.

Artem Samsonov himself yesterday, through his representatives, sent a petition for calling to court as a witness to the governor of Primorye Oleg Kozhemyako. In addition, the defense is petitioning for the participation of a number of deputies of the PC (Evgenia Lyashenko, Natalia Kochugova, Gennady Shulgi) and assistants, the former vice-governor of the domestic policy of Anton Voloshko, as well as the former head of the investigation of Vladimir Fomin.

As one of the main, rather unusual, arguments, Maxim Sikach prepared a certificate in which he analyzed the situation with political repressions in the territory of modern Primorye since the beginning of the 20th century. From historical events, the lawyer (and part -time graduate student of the RSPU) throws the bridge to the modern political situation in Primorye, the high protest activity of the region, as well as to the activities specifically Artem Samsonov. And - which is especially curious - gives excerpts from the report of the law enforcement agencies, which says that Samsonov creates political tension, and therefore his rallies are dangerous.

- We also introduced all the appeals that he managed to send as a deputy of the Legislative Assembly, from September 2021 (that is, from the moment of election) before the arrest. There was a long correspondence with the Investigative Committee for the Primorsky Territory and personally with the [then head of the department] Vladimir Fomin, who personally signed and approved the decision to initiate a criminal case against Samsonov, ”said Maxim Sikach.

The correspondence of Samsonov and Fomin, according to the lawyer, concerned violations and falsifications in the 2021 elections (Artem participated in them as a candidate for State Duma deputies and as a candidate for the Communist Party of the Communist Party).

The next meeting in the Leninsky District Court will be held on May 29.

Primorye