Sochi court rejects all ex-judge Novikov's petitions

On October 4, a trial began in Sochi of Dmitri Novikov, former judge of the Khosta District Court, accused of a fraud with 17 land plots located in Kurortny Avenue. He was brought to the courtroom, where not so long ago he had held litigations himself, at gunpoint and in handcuffs. Mr Novikov rejects all the charges and declares that the Territorial Court and inspectors have done everything to conceal objective information from citizens.

Well before the arrival of the defendant, near the Khosta Court at 106 Kurortny Avenue, a huge crowd gathered: power agents armed with submachine guns; militiamen headed by their boss in charge of public security; court marshals; employees of the administration of the Khosta District; broad public and rights defenders.

Close to the court, picketers lined up, split into two groups: "against Novikov" and "against the entire judiciary".

One of the pickets, whose members held posters saying "Novikov to trial..." and "Protect Sochi land from Novikov", was applied for by Olga Sadovskaya, assistant of the deputy from the "Edinaya Rossiya" (United Russia) Party Oganes Chepnyan, a member of the Territorial Public Self-Government (TPSG) "Bytkha". This picket was sanctioned by the administration of the Khosta District. Its organizer herself was unable to move any complaints against the defendant, saying that she did not know Novikov personally and did not see his decision; but she believes that "once he is a judge, then it serves him right."

The other picket, applied for by Sergei Basmanov, director for defence of citizens' constitutional rights, was banned by the district administration under the pretext that holding pickets near the courthouse is prohibited. The posters of Basmanov's picketers ran: "People's distrust to territorial and Sochi judges!", "We demand independent trial of Novikov," "Inspectors and President of Russia! We demand independent investigation into myriad of real estate belonging to A. Chernov, Chairman of the Territorial Court, and his entourage of judges!" "We express our distrust to the whole Khosta Court and chairman of the territorial court, which made us homeless".

The militia of public safety tried to remove the protesters who expressed dissatisfaction with the Khosta district and territorial courts away from the courthouse. Several militiamen took Basmanov under arms and brought away towards the highway of the Kurortny Avenue.

Dmitri Novikov was brought to the court in handcuffs. Prior to the session, Vladimir Shitkov, Novikov's public defender (the Trunovs, Novikov's advocates, could not participate in the pre-trial for unknown reasons), and his mother and defender Tamara Fyodorovna were already in the courtroom.

Vladimir Shitkov, Novikov's public defender, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent before the session that he was not yet familiar with the case and had not met the defendant. He also could not comment on the legality of running the process by the district court, where Novikov had worked earlier, not by the Supreme Court.

Tamara Novikova, in her turn, said that she and her son did not trust the appointed public defender, and that, in her opinion, they wanted to quickly convict her son without fair investigation and trial.

According to her story, the court rejected all her son's petitions, including the one asking to transfer the case under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. She also noted that her son's health condition is growing worse, and she is seriously concerned that he did not receive the necessary medical aid.

Prior to the trial, Dmitri Novikov personally answered the questions of the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by mobile phone.

The defendant said that the preliminary session is closed, but further sessions will be open for the public. He added that he committed no crime: "My explanations interest nobody and are not taken into account."

The ex-judge believes that the territorial court and inspectors created all the conditions for concealing objective information from citizens, while media are under pressure.

Novikov said that the investigation against him was conducted with gross violation of the law; and he had appealed against inspectors' actions. "I've written and lodged over 20 complaints. The most important ones - claiming to open criminal cases against inspector Gnativ and against Chernov. They are still unconsidered in violation of the law," he said.