Defence of Sergey Reznik claims contradictions in verdict to journalist

During the debates in the Rostov Regional Court, advocates of journalist and blogger Sergey Reznik, accused of false denunciation and insult of the authorities, have claimed the contradictions in the verdict announced by the court of first instance.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on January 22 the Leninsky Court of Rostov-on-Don sentenced Reznik to three years in prison with account of the journalist's already served punishment imposed in November 2013. Also, the journalist was banned for two years to engage in professional activities. His defence appealed against the verdict; and on April 22 the RRC began the appeal consideration of Reznik's case.

In the course of the debates, Tumas Misakyan, an advocate from the Moscow Advocates' Chamber "Advocates' Partnership", has stated that Sergey Reznik was sentenced for acts that cannot be treated as a crime.

Tumas Misakyan has noted that, in particular, he spoke of the charge under Article on insulting a public official.

"According to the current criminal legal doctrine and jurisprudence, a constituent element of offence under the article is the presence of indecent forms of speech in the actions of the offender. Several types of expertise were appointed in this criminal case; however, under none of them the experts came to the conclusion that the words and expressions allegedly used by Sergey Reznik were set out in an indecent manner," Tumas Misakyan has stated.

Zhanna Pavlova, the second advocate of Sergey Reznik, a member of the Rostov Advocates' Chamber "Consent", has added that the trial was partly held behind closed doors.

"It was illegal. Therefore, the sentence shall be revoked. I ask to acquit Sergey Reznik," the advocate has concluded.

On May 13, the Rostov Regional Court is likely to announce the verdict. The defence of Sergey Reznik hopes that the court would listened to its arguments. This was noted by Galina Arapova, the Director of the Media Rights Defence, the lawyers of which represented the journalist's interests at the trial.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.