Evidence disappears in Dnipropetrovsk terrorism trial

The lawyer of Lev Prosvirnin, one of two men charged, very controversially, with being accomplices in the bomb blasts in Dnipropetrovsk on April 27, 2012, reports that vital evidence is missing.  Olena Kyrylova announced at a press conference that a crucial item, namely a black plastic bag alleged to have been used to carry an explosive device has gone missing.

She points out that the bag was not described in the inspection protocol of the place of the event, there is no photographic or video footage of it during the search. 

She says that Prosvirnin has repeatedly asserted that unlawful pressure was brought to bear on him during the investigation.  During the first days after being detained, they didn’t let him sleep, for example.  She says that since that time he has not seen his relatives.

Kyrylova expressed the hope that the prosecution would now change its position and pay heed to the fact that evidence was falsified.  She says that the case was previously under the regional prosecutor who, she assumes, was personally interested in getting convictions since she hoped for promotion thanks to the case.

As reported here many times, Natalya Marchuk made a number of quite improper public statements over the case and specific defendants.  She is reported to have handed in her resignation.

The next hearing in the case is scheduled for March 11.

A month later, exactly one week before the Euro 2012 Soccer Championship was scheduled to begin, the Prosecutor General, Viktor Pshonka publicly informed Viktor Yanukovych that “the four culprits” had been found.

All four remain in custody with the trial ongoing. Two men, Viktor Sukachev and Vitaly  Fedoryak - are charged with the bomb blasts in Dnipropetrovsk, and others in 2011; the other two  – Lev. Prosvirnin and Dmitry Reva – with acting as accomplices.

Much has been reported here about the charges against Reva since he is accused of actions which contain no element of a crime, and where the “evidence” used to justify his remand in custody was proven almost immediately to have been falsified by an SBU [security service] officer.

The charges against Lev Prosvirnin also arouse very serious concerns.