20:39, 29 April 2014

KTC dismisses Demerchyan's complaint

The Krasnodar Territorial Court. Photo by Svetlana Kravchenko for the "Caucasian Knot"

The Krasnodar Territorial Court (KTC) has dismissed the complaint lodged by the defence of the Sochi builder Mardiros Demerchyan, accused of slandering policemen, against holding the handwriting examination without regard of defendant's questions.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on February 4, in Sochi, at the trial of the case of Mardiros Demerchyan, accused of slanderous allegations about torture by the police, the doctor Olga Krymova spoke as a prosecution witness. She said that she had never signed her interrogation protocol that was presented at the hearing.

On February 25, the court appointed a handwriting examination, but the advocates challenged the decision, claiming that the defendant's right to put his questions to the expert was violated.

The Court made this decision "based not on the letter of the law, but on the inner conviction," said Alexander Boichenko, one of the advocates.

Let us remind you that Mardiros Demerchyan was detained in Sochi on June 12, 2013. He asserts that policemen beat up him and his colleague, and that he had been tortured.

Author: Svetlana Kravchenko

Source: CK correspondent