Advocate of Dagestani resident accused of plotting terror act cannot get case materials from the court

The Orichi District Court of the Kirov Region of Russia has begun studying the written evidence in the criminal case about an attempt of a terror act at the "Maradykovsky" chemical weapons factory, in which two natives of Dagestan are the figurants.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on October 14, 2013, in an abandoned house in the city of Kotelnich, Kirov Region, policemen found a hideout with components for the manufacture of improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

At the court session on August 21, the advocate of one of the defendants said that he had not been given a chance to get acquainted with the materials of the criminal case. He treated the situation as a violation of the principle of equality of arms and the defendant's right to enjoy a qualified defence.

As stated by Muslim Djamalutdinov, a lawyer from the Moscow Bar Association "Titul", this fact will be the cause for cancellation of the court decision.

On August 8, the Orichi District Court of the Kirov Region ruled not to grant electronic carriers for studying to the advocate. As stated in the ruling, the defence has the right to get acquainted with the materials of the criminal case, but the "copying of the data from electronic media in the manner specified by the advocate does not guarantee the preservation of the carriers and the information itself."