Sochi court leaves journalist Nikolai Yarst under home arrest for another month

At the motion of the Prosecutor's Office, the Court for the Tsentralny District of Sochi has extended the period of home arrest of journalist Nikholai Yarst till October 3.

The motion was based on the fact that the Prosecutor's Office received for approval the material of the additional verification from the OVD (Interior Division) of the Tsentralny District of Sochi only on September 2.

According to the version of investigator Liana Khachatryan, the materials of the criminal case were sent to the Prosecutor's Office in due time, about two weeks ago. Meanwhile, law enforcers referred to the poor performance of post office.

"Law enforcement bodies have not only violated the terms for the transfer of the criminal case from the OVD to the Prosecutor's Office. They have also violated the term of appeal to the court to extend the period of detention in custody," in his turn, Alexander Popkov, an advocate of Nikholai Yarst, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to Part 8 of Article 109 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation, the motion for extension of the period of detention in custody is to be submitted to the court no later than seven days prior to its expiration.

"We hoped that the court would cancel the absolutely unnecessary pre-trial restriction measure; however, the court did not do that," Alexander Popkov has said. He has added that "Nikholai Yarst is in a very bad state of mind."