Trial begins of Roman Landik

On Tuesday the preliminary court hearing took place at the Leninsky District Court over the charges against Roman Landik, former deputy of the Luhansk City Council and son of a Regions Party MP.  The charges against Landik are over his physical violence against a young woman in a Luhansk restaurant who had resisted his advances.  A major part of the assault was captured on CCTV video and circulated on the Internet.  The scandal led to the authorities insisting that Landik would be punished.  News of his “agreement” with his victim last week also led to angry speculation that the case might be dropped.

UNIAN reports that the victim arrived at the court with her lawyer and another young woman whom Ms Korshunova's lawyer said is another victim in the case.

The lawyer also said that his client was against journalists being present in court.

There would appear to have been disagreement between Landik and his father over a new lawyer whom the latter engaged against his son’s wishes.

The lawyer’s application for the restraint measure to be changed from detention to a signed undertaking not to abscond was rejected.  Landik fled to Russia in July and was extradited from there in September.

The next hearing is scheduled for 17 November.

Roman Landik, following the attack recorded on video, has been accused of “hooliganism”.  The video shows him beating up a young woman, and later beginning to drag her by the hair around the floor.

This took place during the night from 4 to 5 July, and he was declared on the international wanted list on 9 July. The video, posted on the Internet, demonstrates the cynical atmosphere in the restaurant – the conflict and indifference from the other people. Nor did the police, when they finally turned up, detain Landik.