Alleged “Vasilkiv terrorist” trial adjourned till 6 February

A second court hearing took place on 24 January in the trial of three members of the (extreme rightwing) nationalist organization “Patriot of Ukraine” who are charged with planning a terrorist attack, public calls to commit such acts of terrorism and unlawful preparation of an explosive device. The court read out 50 pages of the indictment leaving 14 remaining to be concluded on 6 February. After this witnesses will be questioned.

One of the accused turned to the judge and stated that attempts had been made to move them to another remand institution which they consider to be an attempt to put pressure on them. He alleged also that a member of the investigation team had threatened their relatives.

The Judge responded only by saying that nobody had suggested moving them to another unit.

The Security Service [SBU] assert that at the end of August 2011 they searched the organization’s office in Vasilkiv (Kyiv region) and found a homemade explosive device filled with various screws, etc, as well as “leaflets with extremist content”.

The Patriot of Ukraine members say that the items were planted and categorically deny any such preparation for a terrorist act.

The young men’s lawyer, Dmytro Loshakov says that his clients deny the charges and asserts that the investigation is being run in a biased manner.

The men are all being held in a SIZO [detention centre]

New information (and the image) from http://gazeta.ua/articles/np/_vasilkivskih-teroristiv-prodovzhat-suditi-6-lyutogo/419580