Rostov judges declared their innocence during the closing arguments.

A court in Krasnodar has concluded its closing arguments in the case of former Rostov Regional Court Chair Elena Zolotareva and her colleagues. The defendants pleaded not guilty to bribery.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on December 5, the prosecutor demanded a 20-year prison sentence for former Rostov Regional Court Chair Elena Zolotareva, an 18-year sentence for her deputy, Tatyana Yurova, an 18-year sentence for former head of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Rostov-on-Don, Georgy Bondarenko, a seven-year sentence, and Andrei Roshchevsky, a ten-year sentence for former head of the Rostov Region Judicial Department.

Elena Zolotareva, who pleads not guilty, made her closing argument in the Pervomaisky District Court of Krasnodar on December 19. "Finding yourself in this situation, you understand how important it is to be free, to be with your family. I urge you to see the case file, the person's life, their mistakes, and their achievements, when the verdict is handed down," TASS quoted her as saying. Yurova and Bondarenko also spoke in the closing arguments. Zolotareva's former deputy stated during the closing arguments that her guilt had not been proven.

The investigation has not proven my guilt.

"I believe that the investigation has not proven my guilt. I was not handling any cases; by virtue of my official duties as deputy chair of the court, I was responsible for organizing the work of the civil cases panel. The witnesses questioned—the judges of the civil cases panel—testified that I had no influence on their decisions. Therefore, the wording of the charge, 'could have contributed,' is probabilistic and refuted by the available evidence. The conclusion regarding the amount of the bribe is presumptive," the agency quotes Yurova.

Georgy Bondarenko, for his part, stated that the investigation was biased. He insists that his actions do not constitute a crime related to mediation in bribery. He noted that the investigation has not identified the bribe-giver himself – the indictment names an "unidentified person" – and neither the financial size of the bribe nor the abuse of official position have been proven. The former judge called the indictment's provisions "investigative speculation."

Andrei Roshchevsky, like Georgy Bondarenko, asked the court for an acquittal. The court retired to deliberation, the agency reports.

As a reminder, in September 2023, a fifth defendant in this case, Albert Romanov, a representative of the Chechen leader in the Kaliningrad region, was remanded in custody. Investigators believe he was an intermediary in the transfer of bribes to Elena Zolotareva. On November 17, the court granted a motion to suspend proceedings in his case due to the signing of a contract with the Ministry of Defense and his transfer to the SVO zone.

The criminal prosecution of Rostov judges will not lead to a mass review of the sentences they handed down, but those convicted can challenge them in the Qualification Collegium of Judges, lawyers previously interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" indicated.