When hearings resume on 13 December the defence (represented by Victor Anufriev and Roman Masalyov) will make its closing statement. Yury Dmitriev will then address the court and also pronounce his Last Words at this trial. Word from Moscow is that the trial may finish as early as Tuesday 14 December.
Dmitriev as a free man (March 2018)
Veteran photo-reporter Victoria Ivleva who took this picture is herself currently detained.
In its closing statement the prosecution at Yury DMITRIEV’s third trial on the same charges in the past five years has demanded that his term of imprisonment in a strict-regime penal colony be increased.
“Free Yury Dmitriev!”
This familiar poster now carries another demand: “Hands off Memorial!”
It wants him to serve a total of 15 years as opposed to the 13 years and six months imposed last September by Karelia’s High Court.
Today the prosecution began to give its closing statement. Then it will be the turn of DMITRIEV and his attorney Victor Anufriev.
Dmitriev and his guards at the courthouse
Yesterday evening Sasha Kononova reported on the Dmitriev Supporters Facebook Page (7,800 followers) that the court-appointed attorney did not turn up yesterday to take on the defence of Yury DMITRIEV at the Petrozavodsk City Court.
The city Bar Assocation, apparently, ruled his participation improper. Today it is expected that Victor Anufriev, Dmitriev’s attorney since 2016, will be well enough to appear in court on his client’s behalf, after making the long journey from Moscow.
Petrozavodsk City Court
Several hearings in Yury DMITRIEV’s third trial at the Petrozavodsk City Court are due to take place this week and next: today, tomorrow and Friday, and on Monday, 6 December.
What happens today (writes Natalia Dyomina on Facebook) promises to be unpredictable. DMITRIEV’s principal defence attorney of the past five years Victor Anufriev has been ill [last year he missed important hearings while self-isolating due to Covid-19] and Dmitriev signed an agreement with a second attorney from Petrozavodsk. At the last court hearing, however, the substitute lawyer could not be present: he was due to appear at another trial, agreed much earlier, some way from the Karelian capital.
Victor Anufriev, February 2021
Soon Judge Khomyakova was up to her old tricks. Dissatisfied with these “delays” she herself appointed an attorney, giving him or her (the identity of the new lawyer is unknown) only a few days to get acquainted with no less than 25 substantial case files from the two earlier trials.
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The Dmitriev Affair 