Trial of killers of Gipsies protracted in Volgograd Region

The trial on the criminal case on the murder of Gipsies in the city of Volzhsk, Volgograd Region, in 2006 spring is protracted. Experts fail to appear at the court sessions, and the offended party is not summoned to the court.

"The court session due on November 15 failed," Elena Konstantinova, president of the Volgograd regional NGO for defence of the rights of gipsy women "Congress of Romany Women", has told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. According to Ms Konstantinova, the work of the court on that day failed because of the absence of the main medical expert Mityayev.

Elena Konstantinova has reminded the correspondent that during the whole period of hearings the defendants' advocates had "willingly" protracted the litigation by permanently presenting their sick leaves. In her opinion, by doing so, they wait for the expiry of the custody term of the accused pogromists. Ms Konstantinova has also complained of poor work of the court clerks. She said that the offended party was not notified about the dates of the court sessions: "We aren't summoned to the court, and we have to permanently call up there to learn about the date of the session."

The "Caucasian Knot" informed earlier that the criminal case was initiated on the fact of attack of skinheads on a Gypsies' tent camp in the vicinity of the city of Volzhsk, Volgograd Region. The attack was made at night on April 13, 2006. The criminals were beating people who were in tents with stones and sticks. As a result, an elderly Gipsy and a woman-vagabond of Slavic appearance were killed. Serious mutilations were inflicted to a Gipsy woman of 80 and Gipsy girl of 13. Another Gipsy woman, a Russian girl and two Gipsy teenagers also suffered.