Rights defenders treat Nagavkin's case as fabricated

In his last plea, Igor Nagavkin, a human rights defender from the Volgograd Region, spoke about falsification of his case and violations during the investigation, but the court issued a guilty verdict. Human rights defenders treat Nagavkin's case as fabricated, emphasizing that his active work had irritated authorities

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the defence witnesses in the case of Igor Nagavkin, who is accused of stealing jewellery from a pawnshop, stated at the trial that he had an alibi. However, the court found him guilty and sentenced to six years of freedom deprivation.

The Investigating Committee would not take action on Nagavkin's complaint, said Ilya Govorukhin, his advocate.

Nagavkin himself has noted that during the trial the defendants' right to the defence was systematically violated, which, in his opinion, was an attempt to put pressure on them "in order to force them to plead guilty." He also spoke about the judge's bias, the unacceptable rude behaviour towards the defendants and protraction in considering the case.

After Igor Nagavkin's arrest, Ilya Govorukhin confirmed the existence of numerous violations at the investigation and trial.

Lev Ponomaryov*, the head of the "For Human Rights" Movement**, liquidated by the court ruling, has called Igor Nagavkin "the strongest human rights defender in the province." "He managed to achieve that for some time there were no cases of torture in the colonies in the Volgograd Region. He fought against drug dealers in his city. He is a real people's defender," Mr Ponomaryov* has concluded.

He has treated the criminal case of theft, of which Nagavkin was convicted, as fabricated.