Marina Dubrovina: amnesty does not affect Sochi journalist Nikolai Yarst

The journalist Nikolai Yarst will not be covered by the amnesty launched on December 18, since he had been sentenced under the Article classified as "grave". This was reported by Marina Dubrovina, the journalist's advocate.

Nikolai Yarst, a journalist of the "Russian Public Television", was detained in Sochi on May 23. According to investigators, employees of the UVD (Interior Department) found a parcel with drugs in the car with him and his colleague. Nikolai Yarst rejects the charge of drug possession and associates it with his professional activities.

"I've chosen a dangerous profession by myself," says the journalist and continues: "I just realized how dangerous it is, when drugs were planted on me; I was put under home arrest, being accused of a grave crime that I never committed. I am grateful to all the colleagues who stood in my defence. I very much thank the 'Caucasian Knot' for covering the topic. I very much hope that the case won't reach the court and will be spotted for lack of crime element or evidence; and the justice will prevail."

At present, the criminal case instituted against Nikolai Yarst for the crime under Part 2 of Article 228 (possession of drugs) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, has been returned to investigator Liana Khachatryan for the fourth time.