Court on Chiygoz case in Crimea will examine Crimean ex-deputies as witnesses

On June 13, Tuesday, the Supreme Court of the occupied Crimea continue considering the case «February 26» against the deputy chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatars, Akhtem Chiygoz.

According to the lawyer Nikolay Polozov, at the first half of hearing Chiygoz’s defense challenged the judges via their refusal to summon the Crimean ex-deputies as witnesses, for they contributed to the Crimean annexation in 2014 and collaborated with the invaders thereafter.

«From the very beginning of the hearing the defense challenged the judges, thus I recall you, at the last session the court refused to summon as witnesses Olga Kvitidi and Sergey Tsekov, who were the Supreme Council’s deputies of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and could elucidate the circumstances what had happened inside the building, why the session was not held and the deputies quorum was not gathered. They were also in the courtyard and might witness on the events on February 26 and consequently Akhtem Chiygoz’s actions», the lawyer said.

Polozov noted that the court refused challenging itself, but informed about received telephone messages from Kvitidi and Tsekov, who confirmed once again their intention to come and testify.

«The defense again filed a petition to summon these people correspondingly, and the court allowed it. The date has not yet been fixed, but the interrogation most likely will be conducted next week», Polozov said.

As the lawyer said, then Chiygoz’s defense filed a petition for questioning Vladimir Konstantinov, the Supreme Council ex-chairman of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, but now the State Council of Crimea chairman, and the court refused it in turn.

In addition, there was filed the petition to the court to interrogate Saitiaev Viis Yunusovich as witness in Chiygoz’s case, «who by the time of events had been the head of Interethnic Relations department in the Head Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, and currently he is the head of the Bureau of Criminal investigation»:

«During the material evidence investigation we repeatedly saw on the photo and video the presence of Saitiaev at the venue. Moreover, Saitiaev may crucially witness regarding the events on 25 February such as the preparations for mass rallies, relations with Zaur Smirnov and Refat Chubarov within preparing by law enforcement officials the public order ensurance on that day (February 26, 2014). This petition was also rejected by the court».

As website «15 minutes» reported, on 7 June the Supreme Court of Crimea did not allow Akhtem Chiygoz to see a seriously ill mother.

To remind some facts, on 21 March the court began questioning the defense witnesses on Chiygoz’s case. Most of them told in the court that the pro-Russian protesters during the rally on February 26, 2014 became more active after a group of people from Sevastopol had joined them.

One of the defense witnesses also told that he had watched how at the rally venue people were given armature, truncheons and shovel shanks out of a car with the Russian flag on it, though the so-called prosecution witnesses constantly mentioned about that arsenal the other way around.