Wives of drug policemen in Volgograd demand to justify their husbands

Tatiana Stepanenko and Margarita Kaverina have held solo pickets in Volgograd, declaring the innocence of their convicted husbands and calling on the authorities to release them.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in 2015, Pavel Stepanenko was sentenced to seven years in prison within a bribe case. Then, the case was sent for reviewing. In 2018, the prosecution asked for Stepanenko 15 years in colony; and the court appointed 14.5 years in a high security colony for him. Four other defendants received from four to nine and a half years in colony.

"Several investigators have been convicted for falsifying the criminal case against Pavel Stepanenko, but he remains in prison. The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) stood up in his defence. Following its decision, Russia has paid Pavel compensation for almost five years of his illegal detention," said Tatiana Stepanenko.

Margarita Kaverina has reported that on May 30, 2019, the court reduced the fine imposed on her spouse down to 1 million roubles.

"The court would not accept any proofs of the defence, although we tried to prove that there was a provocation. The person, who had slandered our husbands, was never interrogated," she has noted.