Lawyers point to violations in case of teenager convicted of arson of military commissariat in Rostov-on-Don

The interrogation of a minor convicted of attempting to set fire to a military commissariat (registration and enlistment office) in Rostov-on-Don without an advocate and his mother can be treated as a violation of the minor's rights, lawyers believe.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that a 17-year-old boy from Krasnoyarsk, who was found guilty of attempting to set fire to the military commissariat in Rostov-on-Don, was sentenced to six years in a correctional colony. His advocate claimed that the minor's rights were violated during the investigation. In particular, the suspect was interrogated on August 25, 2022, at night without a legal representative and an advocate, while until October 5, 2022, he was "illegally held in a temporary detention centre for juvenile offenders"; his mother could visit him only in October, although he should have been interrogated in her presence.

Evgeny Smirnov, a lawyer, has also confirmed the illegality of interrogating a minor without the presence of an advocate and his parent.

"There are cases when investigators are cunning and force a suspect to write a confession or otherwise record a guilt admission," Mr Smirnov has explained.

According to his story, there are cases when the "Ukrainian trace" is the result of a provocation: a person is persuaded to throw a bottle in the direction of a military commissariat, and he is detained as soon as he approaches the building.

Artyom Mugunyants, a military lawyer, has pointed out that the presence of an advocate and a minor's representative is mandatory. According to his version, there are many cases of traps in arson cases of military commissariats.

Alexander Verkhovsky, the director of the "Sova" Information and Analytical Centre*, has also notes that young people often fall into a trap when they set military commissariats on fire. At the same time, according to his story, there are also cases when young people actually contact members of Ukrainian special services.

*On August 17, 2023, the First Court of Appeal of General Jurisdiction approved the decision taken earlier in April by the Moscow City Court to liquidate the SOVA Human Rights Centre.