Court refuses to appeal to Ukraine for information about Arthur Panov

Arthur Panov, a citizen of Ukraine, accused of plotting a terror act in Rostov-on-Don, did not agree that some of the documents on his case were sent from the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic (known as LNR). The defendant has asked the court to address the Ukrainian authorities with a request about him.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Maxim Smyshlyaev, a 34-year-old resident of Rostov-on-Don, is accused of aiding and abetting Arthur Panov, charged with plotting a terror act. The Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" recognized Maxim Smyshlyaev as a political prisoner.

At the court hearing held on May 5, Arthur Panov stated that some of the documents in his case had been sent by the authorities of the LNR, and he filed a motion to the court to send a request to the Ukrainian authorities concerning the presence or absence of his earlier criminal records. The defendant has also asked the court to address the Ukrainian side with a request for his characteristics and medical documents.

The collegium of judges found the Arthur Panov's motion as premature.

Rostov historian Valery Usenko believes that Arthur Panov very well studied the history of the radical left-wing "RAF". "The activities of the German 'Rote Armee Fraktion' (RAF) started namely from the arson of supermarkets in Frankfurt am Main in April 1968. Then several young Germans set fire to 'symbols of the consumption system' in protest against the war in Vietnam... The analogy is obvious: Arthur Panov wanted to blow up a supermarket in protest against the war in Ukraine, since he believed Russia was involved in it," noted Valery Usenko.

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