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среда, 5 февраля 2014 г.

Igor Harchenko Given 5 Days Jail Time

Updated from: Arrest and detention of Igor Kharchenko 4.02.2014

On 5 February in Krasnodar, Igor Harchenko’s case was considered in a Krasnodar court by Judge Stanislav Burenko. Harchenko, a council member of the Environmental Watch on the North Caucasus, was accused of police insubordination.

Igor Harchenko in the courthouse

According to the on duty officer of the Ministry of the Interior, Harchenko’s hearing was set for 2pm. Harchenko however was taken to the court building around 11am, after which the hearing began almost immediately.

Igor Harchenko was taken into the courtroom together with seven others who were also being tried for administrative violations. Harchenko’s friends and relatives, as well as independent observers attempted to enter the courtroom, but the court officers did not permit them. After this, the court secretary exited the courtroom, and asked the people gathered who had been planning to be present at the hearing, and how they are related to Harchenko. After some time, she said that the judge had decided without reason that the hearing would be close, which is why even the independent observers were not let in.

During the hearing, Harchenko was not allowed to speak, and was thus not able to file a motion to have his own defence, or to include video recordings of the activist’s detention in the evidence, or to delay the hearing until 6 February. The hearing took around 5 minutes, during which the judge sentenced not only Harchenko, but the other detainees as well. According to the activist, the judge handed down the sentences without giving the defendants any time to speak, and refused to accept any of their motions. The judge found Harchenko guilty of article 19.3 of the Russian Federation’s Code of Administrative Violations and sentenced him to 5 days in jail. A copy of the decision was not given to the defendant.

Harchenko intends to appeal the decision.

Links: http://www.ewnc.org/node/13530, https://twitter.com/OgonWatch

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