Defence achieves check of Grib's complaints about law enforcers

The North-Caucasian District Military Court has instructed investigators to check the applications of Pavel Grib that he had given confessions under pressure. The court also agreed to question the doctor from Ukraine, Vasily Pritula, who had supervised Pavel Grib since childhood.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Pavel Grib is accused of inciting his acquaintance, a woman from Kuban, to commit a terror act. On December 21, 2018, the court refused to release him from the SIZO for health reasons.

At the February 1 court session, the panel of judges granted the petition lodged by Pavel and his advocate to conduct a procedural check of the possible abuse of power by law enforcers, while he was kept at the Krasnodar SIZO (pre-trial prison). The check will be carried out by the Military Investigation Division for the Krasnodar garrison. Besides, the judges did not object to the interrogation of Professor Vasily Pritula in the courtroom, should the defence ensure his appearance.

Vasily Pritula, a Doctor of Medicine from Ukraine, examined Pavel Grib in Rostov-on-Don, and, according to his conclusion, "when Grib was at the SIZO, the state of his health threatened with the appearance of internal bleedings." Marina Dubrovina, an advocate, has noted that Doctor Pritula had observed Grib in Ukraine from his young age, long before the detention.

The next court session is scheduled for February 18; it will take place if the investigators finish their check.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on February 2, 2019 at 02:12 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.