Defence to challenge extension of arrest and verdict of guilty against Karpyuk and Klykh

The Supreme Court of the Chechen Republic, which listened how the jury had pronounced the verdict of guilty against Ukrainian citizens Nikolai Karpyuk and Stanislav Klykh, extended their detention in custody until August 27. Their defenders intend to challenge the decision and the oncoming verdict against their clients.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on May 19, the jury unanimously found both defendants guilty and noted that Stanislav Klykh deserved leniency. Advocate Mark Feigin, who defended Nadezhda Savchenko, believes that Nikolai Karpyuk will be sentenced to life imprisonment.

Dokka Itslaev, an advocate of Nikolai Karpyuk, believes that the jury pronounced the verdict of guilty, since the jurors failed to understand the case.

According to Marina Dubrovina, an advocate of Stanislav Klykh, the court has not provided the defence with a chance to present to the jurors a series of weighty arguments to convince them of the innocence of the Ukrainians, including video materials from Grozny, made in December 1994-January 1995. Marina Dubrovina claims that the defendants do not appear on the videos, including the videos made inside the basement of the presidential palace, where militants interrogated prisoners of war.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.