SC questions human rights defender Maria Tomak without jury
Today, at the court session in the case against Klykh and Karpyuk, the Supreme Court (SC) of Chechnya has allowed to question a defence witness Maria Tomak, a Ukrainian human rights defender and a journalist, a member of the Centre for Civil Liberties. She testifies about the alibi of the defendants.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that starting from October 27, 2015, the case against Klykh and Karpyuk are considered by the Supreme Court of the Chechen Republic with the involvement of a jury. The recent court session was held on March 10. The court session scheduled for March 14 was postponed to March 24 because of the judge's illness.
According to advocate Dokka Itslaev, at his request, Maria Tomak collected evidence in Ukraine. Public prosecutor stood against questioning Maria Tomak.
The defendants are charged with involvement in killing of at least 30 soldiers and wounding of at least other 13 during the first Chechen campaign. According to investigators, Karpyuk and Klykh were members of the organization "UNA-UNSO", founded in the early 1990s.
The judge pronounced the decision to question Maria Tomak without a jury and only to the extent "of the material characterizing the defendants." She told the court that, according to her information, in 1994-1995, Karpyuk cared for his sick mother and was in Ukraine, and Klykh studied at the Kiev National University.
Karpyuk and Klykh are recognized by the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" as political prisoners.
Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.