On 30 July Lebedev’s attorneys will prove how wrong they are

On Monday the Chita Region Court did not examine the appeal by Lebedev’s attorneys against the ruling issued by Judge Likhanova of the Central district court in Chita, who refused to consider the defence complaint under Article 125 of the Criminal Procedural Code. The hearing was called off because Platon Lebedev had not been brought from the city jail to the courthouse although he had submitted a request to participate in person.

The defence complained to the Central district court about the actions of Investigator Akimov who did not add a number of documents to the case file. These were the clarifications provided, at the official request of the defence, by the former chief legal officer of Yukos Dmitry Gololobov and a former employee of Rosprom Ltd Ravil Burganov and also the second arbitration ruling in 2003 by the Vienna Tribunal.

On Monday the Chital Region Court was supposed to assess the decision by Judge Likhanova of the city’s Central district court who had not even seen cause for judicial examination in the defence complaint.

“By its arbitrary addition or failure to add to the case file certain documents, the team of investigators has emasculated the opportunity provided by law for both the defendant and the defence to put up a defence by all permitted methods,” lawyer Vladimir Krasnov commented. “Moreover, the court and the investigator are obliged to take all measures within their power to enable the parties to add to the case file materials that testify to the innocence of the accused or confirm certain important facts that are significant for the comprehensive and objective examination of the case.”

The hearing into the defence appeal will now take place on Wednesday at the Chita Region Court.