The Lefortovo Court of Moscow extended the detention period for all 24 Ukrainian sailors seized by Russia in the Kerch Strait on November 25. For the last four, Viktor Bezpalchenko, Volodymyr Varimez, Vladislav Kostyshyn, and Volodymyr Lisovy, the detention is extended until April 24, 2019. This is reported by the correspondent of Hromadske from the courtroom.
The attorneys of the seamen pled the transfer of the cases to the military court, emphasizing that their defendants are prisoners of war. However, the judge rejected the petition.
Instead, FSB investigators were asked to extend the detention period for men, emphasizing only the risk of hiding suspects from the investigation. However, lawyers said that the investigators did not substantiate this risk.
The sailors themselves fully supported their lawyers and did not answer any questions from judges which did not relate to their name and title, referring to the Geneva Convention.
Previously, the court upheld the request of FSB investigator to hold a closed-session trial. Attorneys said that there was no reason for this, because there are no secret documents in the case.
It should be noted that on January 15, the court did not have time to choose a preventive measure for four sailors. The session was postponed to January 16th.
Seamen’s lawyers have three days to appeal a decision. According to the defenders, they are going to do so.
