I was shocked by the rudeness of the judge who hears the case Karpyuk and Klyh

Relatives of Ukrainian political prisoners in Russia had to give up a meeting with them and urgently return to Ukraine because of the risk itself to be behind bars

– At the end of March in the trial of Ukrainian political prisoners Nikolaem Karpyukom and Stanislav Klyhom, which takes place in the capital of the Chechen Republic Grozny, gave testimony of their relatives in Ukraine, – says the journalist of the NGO “Center for Civil Liberties”, the coordinator of the human rights campaign LetMyPeopleGo Mariya Tomak. – I was accompanied by relatives in Grozny and saw the Russian authorities intended to disrupt their performance in the courtroom. If not for the intervention of Ukrainian consul, instead of to appear at the hearing to testify, they could easily find themselves at the police station on trumped-up charges of violating immigration rules.

– One of the leaders of the “Right Sector” – 51-year-old Russian special services fraud Nikolaya Karpyuka lured into the territory of the country and was arrested in March 2014 – continues to Maria Tomak. – 42-year-old history teacher from Kiev Stanislav Klyh fell into the hands of those services in the summer of 2014, when he went to Russia to visit his bride. Prior to this, Nicholas and Stanislaw did not know each other, in Chechnya, according to our information, has never been, but people fabricated against them a criminal case, this did not bother: they are, as well as the Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk, prominent politicians – brothers Andrew and Oleg Tyahnybok – accused of creating gangs and shootings of Russian troops in the first Chechen war.

Recognition have Karpyuk Klyha and Russian security services knocked terrible tortures. However, Karpyuk had the strength of mind not to incriminate himself and others when it is passed through the current level, driven under the fingernails needles for four days was put into the compartment sizes meter on and not allowed to sleep at the same time. Nicholas agreed to sign that torturers demanded only when threatened to steal from Kiev Taras his infant son, and before the eyes of Nicholas to do with the boy that did it. They said maybe vykradut and his wife Helen.

This is what we learned in the second half of last year – once in conjunction with the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union and the Russian human rights activists have achieved the appointment of independent lawyers. Dokka Itslaev Karpyuk became an advocate and Marina Dubrovin took to protect Klyha. Political prisoners in detail told them about the torture endured.

Unfortunately, by the time the Ukrainian law enforcement agencies have opened a criminal case on the fact of illegal arrest in Russia. It was necessary to formally gather evidence of innocence Nicholas and Stanislaw.

– Your organization tried to find out whether the Russian authorities against the accusations are true and Karpyuk Klyha?

– As Ukrainian law enforcers did nothing, we are working with the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union conducted its own investigation and made sure that during the first Chechen war, Nicholas and Stanislaw were in Ukraine. There are a lot of witnesses, and in the case of Klyhom – also documented: Student record book. According to the false accusations of the Russian investigation, Stanislav in the New Year holidays in 1995 “shot” of soldiers in Grozny. In fact, he gave tests and exams at the History Department of the Kyiv Taras Shevchenko University. Appropriate records are in his zachetke. Karpyuk at that time headed the party cell UNA-UNSO in Rivne, edited the party newspaper. Just then his mother was seriously ill. An elderly woman needed constant care, and she moved to live with Nicholas.

We passed the law enforcers witness lists, which we were able to find, they insisted that they officially took the testimony and sent to the Russian side.

– It was possible to achieve this?

– Yes, but the Supreme Court of the Chechen Republic, in which the case Ukrainian political prisoners, until these documents are accustomed to the case, and it is unknown whether it will incorporate. Therefore, it was important to protect the witnesses spoke at the hearing. The lawyers managed to get permission to do so. We began to organize a group to travel to Grozny. Many witnesses Karpyuk wanted to go with us, but most of them – members of the outlawed Party of Russia UNA-UNSO. In addition, some of these people fought in the ATO. Karpyuk wife Elena participated in the elections to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the party “Right sector”. It is clear that all of them extremely dangerous to go to the Russian Federation. So in the group included only four people who are not involved in politics: Klyha mother Tamara, his cousin Alexander Pyatnichuk,

– Who paid for the trip?

– Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine pay the ticket and gasoline. At the border checkpoint group (acceded to several journalists) met van Ukrainian consulate, where we went to Grozny.

Speech by relatives of the defendants was scheduled for March 14. However, when we arrived on the day the Supreme Court, they heard that the judge was ill and would be only a month. Most likely, his “disease” – an attempt to disrupt the presentation of witnesses. The hope was that they immediately leave home. But the relatives were waiting to consider the extension of the detention in custody of Nicholas and Stanislaw.

This meeting took place in a few days. By that time, the judge suddenly “recovered.” When the accused was brought to court from a paddy wagon came the cries Stanislaus. Assigned to him by the authorities on the eve of a psychiatric examination concluded that he feigns insanity. Protection considers this conclusion biased and insisted on an independent examination. Note that now Karpyuk Klyha and brought to court only when the question of the extension of their stay in custody. they do not allow the rest of the session – the court removes the defendants because of “emotional behavior”.

– In those days, there was an incident at the hotel “Grozny City”, during which the unidentified young men pushed the Ukrainian consul. You know the details?

– and I were part of our group of journalists from Kyiv witnessed this unfortunate event. The five-star hotel “Grozny City” we have come to meet with the Russian human rights activist, head of public organization “Committee against Torture” Igor Kalyapin. The reason for this was what had happened the day before our arrival, the attack on the office of the organization in Grozny, as well as a minibus its Joint Mobile Group. In today’s Chechnya, there are cases of kidnapping. Kalyapin with his colleagues investigates these facts publicly about them said. Human rights activist came specially to meet with Ukrainian journalists, settled in the hotel “Grozny City”, which is considered almost the only safe place in the country. We talked in his room about a half hour, when there came a man who introduced himself as general director of the hotel. He demanded Igor immediately slid to as “insulting the beloved leader of Chechnya.” Igor with things down the hall, we went along with it. There gathered a large group of hotel workers. Women attacked Kalyapin shouting in defense of “beloved leader”

Ukrainian Consul Alexander Kovtun is also in the hotel and witnessed the event. The most annoying thing began on the street: there on Kalyapin attacked by a crowd of young people Igor calls “Komsomol Kadyrov.” The human rights activist flew flour, Zelenka, confectionery. In the confusion one of the attackers pushed the Ukrainian diplomat.

– Relatives of Ukrainian political prisoners were in court?

– The judge announced that they will be able to testify in ten days, so that all four family members were. They settled on his apartment attorney Dokka Itslaev. And I decided to go to Ukraine to record the video evidence of people who knew Nikolaya Karpyuka in 1994-1995. I did it, and I just came back to Grozny.

However, just one hour before the performance in the court room in an apartment, where relatives of the accused were, he descended migration officials, accompanied by two people with no identity papers. They said: “Why are you on the territory without registration?” In fact, in this case the registration was not mandatory.

Ukrainian consul Alexander Goncharov told about the visitor, and he immediately went to the apartment. If not for the intervention of the diplomat, relatives could easily pick up at the police station, and they did not come to at the hearing.

Lawyers have to, I also gave testimony. I am hoping that the judge allowed me to show the recorded video evidence in defense Karpyuk and attract them to the case. But hopes were in vain. Also, I was shocked by the rudeness, rudeness judge.

Imagine, I went into the hall, the Secretary to present a passport, and suddenly there was a shout: “Why are you acting like a bazaar!” What have I done so angered the judge, was not clear. When told that represent public organization “The Committee of civil liberties,” he said with an impish grin: “Civil liberties? You? ? In Ukraine, “He did not give a thought to finish – interrupted, even indirectly threatened me saying that if I ask a lot of questions to me can be the same thing with Hope Savchenko Vera sister – instituted criminal proceedings for contempt of court.

When I talked about the collected evidence in favor of the accused, the jury was removed from the hall. They were present only when requested by the lawyers I spoke of the UNA-UNSO. By the way, Alexander Malofeev – the only witness on the testimony which built the charge against Karpyuk and Klyha – is a member of the UNA-UNSO. This man was convicted in Russia for a long time for a felony. Serving a sentence in the colony, he testified against Karpyuk, Klyha, Yatsenyuk Tyagnibok brothers and others. I interviewed many members of the UNA-UNSO, and all of them said they were not familiar with Malofeev.

When this person gave testimony against Ukrainian political prisoners in his neck sported a tattoo of a trident, and on his chest – Nazi symbols. All of this “art” was as if specially on open display for television and still cameras.

I am interested in unsovtsev, it decided whether they have to do on a neck tattoo trident. It turned out that there is. They are worn on the chest special cross UNA-UNSO, some do a tattoo on his left forearm. Malofeeva wife claims that before his arrest, her husband had tattoos on his neck was not.

And one more thing: the Russian human rights center “Memorial” conducted its own analysis of the charges against Karpyuk and Klyhu. On the first and second Chechen wars, the organization has gathered enormous amounts of information about operations and the fate of their members. Based on data from its archive, the activists of “Memorial” state: Ukrainian political prisoners are innocent in the death of soldiers whose names appear in the criminal case. After all, there is clear evidence of where, when and under what circumstances killed the soldiers and officers.

– Relatives are allowed to meet with Karpyuk and Klyhom?

– Resolution on the appointment power is likely to be granted, but the relatives left. This stems from the ill-fated visit to the Migration Service. We all remember the story of a student of the Lviv Yuri Yatsenko: in the spring of 2014, he was driving with a friend about their business in Russia. On the way to him raided the staff of this service. Claims have been fine, but for the detention of Yuri turned out that he was more than a year spent in captivity, subjected to severe torture, against him was a criminal case. That this will not happen again with relatives and Karpyuk Klyha decided immediately after the speech in the courtroom to return to Ukraine.

Sourse, 05/04/2016