First court session in case against Rasul Mirzaev to question parents of Ivan Agafonov

The first court session on the merits against Rasul Mirzaev, World Champion in Mixed Martial Arts, after whose strike Ivan Agafonov, a 19-year-old Moscow resident, died, is scheduled for July 25, and it will question the victims Tatiana and Alexander Agafonov. The parents of the deceased young man gave testimonies during the preliminary investigation, and then they would voice their position in the courtroom. They did not accept Rasul Mirzaev's apologies and did not change their attitude to the case. This was stated by Oksana Mikhalkina, the representative of the parents of the deceased young man.

Taking into account the considerable public interest in the consideration of the criminal case, the official website of the Zamoskvorechye District Court with support by the Russian Agency of Legal and Judicial Information (RAPSI) will organized online broadcast of the first court session. This was stated by the message, posted on the website of the Court.

On July 17, the Zamoskvorechye Court of Moscow dismissed the defence's motion to return the case to the prosecutor and re-qualification of the case and the motion to exclude the results of the recent medical examination, which implied that the athlete used his combat skills.

The court left Rasul Mirzaev in custody for the full duration of the trial. Besides, the judge also dismissed the athlete's motion to consider the case behind closed doors.

Alexei Grebenskoy, the lawyer of Rasul Mirzaev, believes that the Court has fully supported the prosecutors in violation of the existing rules of law.

Oksana Mikhalkina, the representative of the victims, has stated that defence's motions are aimed at "deliberate delaying of criminal proceedings, which violates the rights of the victims."

Rasul Mirzaev apologized to the family of Ivan Agafonov, who were present in the courtroom, namely, to the father and the mother of the deceased young man. "I will never forgive that," said Alexander Agafonov with tears in his eyes.