27 May 2014, 15:35
Defence in Politkovskaya's murder case demands to nullify jury's verdict
Today, at the Moscow City Court (MCC), the advocates of the figurants in the murder case of Anna Politkovskaya, an observer of the "Novaya Gazeta" newspaper, have demanded to quash the guilty verdict handed down by the jurors on May 20, dissolve the jury and send the case for retrial.
"The verdict has been passed by illegal board of the Court. The Chairing Judge Pavel Melekhin had dismissed the jurywoman No. 10 half and hour before the jury retired to the consultation room for reaching the verdict, and thus inclined the jury to bias. I hereby ask to disband the jury and send the case for a new trial by another court composition," said Vladimir Stepanov, advocate of the defendant Rustam Makhmudov.
He was supported by advocates of other defendants.
The judge has treated Stepanov's petition as untimely moved and having no legitimate grounds.
Author: Yulia Buslavskaya Source: CK correspondent
