Jurors Didn’t Request to Bar Media from Politkovskaya’s Case
It emerged yesterday that the Moscow District Military Court Judge Yevgeny Zubov, who had closed Anna Politkovskaya trial from media on the jury’s refusal to enter the courtroom in presence of journalists, had had no reasons for it. One of the jurors said yesterday that, in reality, they had insisted on openness of the trial.
Yevgeny Zubov announced on Wednesday before the start of the trial over three alleged accomplices to killing Anna Politkovskaya that he closed it on jurors’ refusal to enter the courtroom before the reporters.
Yesterday, however, it became clear that none of the jurors had complained of any threats or demanded to bar media. “None of us requested Zubov to close the trial,” said juror Yevgeny Kolesov. Also on Thursday, the jurors submitted to Zubov a collective statement (signed by 19 of 20 jurors), requesting to admit text reporters to the courtroom. As to Kolesov, he applied for withdrawing from the trial.
The statements will be considered December 1, once the trial continues. The case was adjourned yesterday, and the reasons for that adjoining were very strange.
During preliminary hearing, two lawyers of prisoners on trial said they took part in another trail in Karelia and requested to shelve the hearing. But Zubov assured he had agreed on the matter with Karelia’s Supreme Court.
Yesterday, however, Zubov announced he had problems with Karelia’s court and the lawyers are to attend the trial in Petrozavodsk. The lawyers responded that other defense attorneys would stand for them in Karelia, to no avail though.
Novaya Gazeta investigating journalist Anna Politkovskaya was shot dead in October of 2006 outside her apartment in Moscow. She had reported on human right abuse in Chechnya.
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All the Article in Russian as of Nov. 21, 2008
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