LEV PONOMAREV

Human rights community of Russia has called all sacrifices of the «Yukos case» political prisoners. I must say that it was not an ordinary event, because we know how public opinion is inclined regarding the sacrifices of the «Yukos case». Nevertheless, human rights activists practically unanimously admitted all the people who suffered in the «Yukos case» political prisoners. We have addressed our request to the «Amnesty International» to examine this question. The «Amnesty International» shows prudence, there are certain circumstances why they act like this. But I know that this question was examined there very carefully, I hope, that some day we will gain a victory and the «Amnesty International» will also admit them political prisoners.

The government of the Russian Federation has submitted to the European Court of Human Rights a Memorandum with regard to the case of the former employee of the «Yukos» oil company Alexey Pichugin. This news was imparted to the portal HRO.org by the lawyer of the convict Kseniya Kostromina.

The lawyers of former Yukos employee, Aleksey Pichugin placed at the disposal of journalists questions from the European Court for Human Rights to the government of the Russian Federation. These deal with the first Aleksey Pichugin criminal case over the disappearance of Tambov businessmen, Sergey and Olga Gorina. These questions were drafted on June 5 2007 based on the complaints Pichugin and his lawyers filed in Strasbourg. The Russian government is to reply to them before the end of September. After that, the lawyers will present their counter-arguments and the European Court will decide on the merits of the case.

As was reported earlier by lawyer Kseniya Kostromoina, the defence had called the attention of the Strasbourg court to the violations of Articles 3 (Prohibition of torture), 5 (Right to life, liberty and security of person) and 6 (Right to fair trial) of the European Convention on Human Rights.

On the 17-th of July, 2007 in the Moscow City Court the hearings of arguments with regard to Alexey Pichugin’s case have been finished. At the beginning of the session the victim Evgeny Rybin has made a declaration. In his emotional speech he has characterized the «Yukos» oil company as a criminal organization and has stated that he fully agrees with the public prosecution’s position. After that, there have spoken the lawyers of the convict, having stated that the charges brought against him were not confirmed during the judicial investigation and having called the judge to pronounce a judgment of acquittal. Then, Alexey Pichugin has been given a last plea. The judge Peter Shtunder has called a date and a time of the sentence’s proclaiming – the 6-th of August 2007, 2 o’clock p.m.

At the court session of the Supreme court of the Russian Federation on the 14-th of February, 2007 Alexey Pichugin’s lawyers presented a cassation appeal against the judgment of conviction (from 17.08.06), stated on 89 sheets. We site a fragment of this appeal.

On the 20th of November 2003 Aleksey Pichugin defense lawyer filed an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights. The appeal was caused by Prosecutor General’s refuse to allow the immediate medical examination of their client and by „refusal in immediate medical assistance to Pichugin“.

On the 30 of March 2005 defense lawyer Ksenia Kostromina made the following statement: „We are sure that we have all the grounds to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights with an additional complaint to substantiate the infringement of Pichugin’s right of a fair trial“.

Petition for Review Passed by Aleksey Pichugin defense lawyers on 14 June 2005

Statement of Aleksey Pichugin defense lawyers for Mass Media of the 30th of March 2005

Dmitry Kurepin was born in 1966.

Education: Higher juridical (Academy of Home Ministry of Russian Federation).

Lawer of Moscow Regional Bar Association

Specialization: Criminal Law, Civil Law.