The hearing on the Kuban pensioners' case was disrupted due to the defendant's condition.

The Rostov-on-Don Military Court was unable to hold a hearing in the case of Kuban pensioners accused of creating an illegal armed group because the condition of Nikolai Nabiev, hospitalized with a third heart attack, worsened. The pensioners' relatives can no longer afford their lawyers.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," pensioners Nikolai Nabiev, Sergei Kuzovenko, and Marina Zakharova, accused of creating an illegal armed group, complained of health problems in pretrial detention. Relatives stated that they learn about their condition from their lawyers, and the defendants are not allowed to see their families. According to a witness, the defendants were involved in public activities, and the charges of creating an illegal armed group were unfounded. In April, the prosecutor requested prison sentences ranging from 11 to 12.5 years for the defendants. The defendants refused to plead guilty. On June 6, the Uspensky District Court of Krasnodar Krai refrained from issuing a verdict and referred the case to the Southern District Military Court. Kuzovenko and Zakharova appealed this decision. The case materials of Nikolai Nabiyev, Sergei Kuzovenko, and Marina Zakharova, who are accused of creating an illegal armed group, were received by the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don. Nabiyev is hospitalized with a third heart attack.

The Southern District Court postponed the hearing of the pensioners' case due to the serious condition of one of the defendants, who is in the hospital after suffering a heart attack.

As relatives of the defendants told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, they are no longer able to pay for their lawyers, and therefore state-appointed lawyers have been assigned to their relatives in the ongoing trial in the military court.

Three new appointed attorneys appeared at the hearing on December 18. All women, a source told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"The trial started four hours late. We waited from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. At first, the prosecutor was busy with another trial, and they couldn't connect from the hospital. Ultimately, they couldn't hold the hearing and postponed it until tomorrow, as Nabiyev became very ill. He said via videoconference: "Do whatever you want, it won't do any good anyway. Let me go to the ward and lie down. I feel very ill." The other defendants were also connected via videoconference. None of them were brought to court," the source said.

Nabiyev's relatives told the correspondent that they are very concerned about the condition of their loved one.

"They found terrorists... it's bitter that in our country "Pensioners are the most vulnerable segment of the population, unable to withstand all these pressures and undeserved accusations due to their age and health. Instead of a well-deserved rest, our pensioners are sent to prison and tried on trumped-up charges. Aren't those involved in such cases as ashamed?" said one of Nabiyev's relatives.

He believes that if anything happens to Nabiyev, the blame should fall on those who brought false accusations against him and other innocent pensioners, who, due to their age and health, could never have formed an illegal armed group even if they had wanted to.

The next meeting is scheduled for December 19.