About the case: The investigation established that serviceman of the 501st Separate Marine Battalion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Anton Baidrakov, is involved in the commission of particularly serious crimes on the territory of the republic. He has been charged with four articles of the Criminal Code of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR): Article 323 ‘Actions aimed at violent seizure and retention of power in the DPR’, Part 1 of Article 427 ‘Cruel treatment of the civilian population’, subparagraph ‘a’ of Part 2 of Article 128 ‘Illegal deprivation of liberty of a person committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy’, and Part 1 of Article 106 ‘Intentional murder’.
The case is being considered by a panel of three judges of the Southern District Military Court. The presiding judge is Maxim Mikhailovich Nikitin.
The session started later than scheduled, and the reasons for the delay were not disclosed.
The prosecution submits a motion to disclose the testimonies of witnesses Cherednik, Ryzhih, Lysenko, Skidan, Ledinyov, all of whom were held in the Luhansk People’s Republic’s detention facility and were interrogated by the investigator.
The judge asks for the defense attorney’s opinion. The attorney states that her client requests the disclosure of the materials.
The motion is partially granted, and a decision is made to arrange a video conference call from the pre-trial detention center for the witnesses’ interrogation.
The prosecutor receives the interrogation materials conducted by the Luhansk People’s Republic investigator.
The prosecutor begins reading out the interrogation protocols of Ryzhih, detailing Ryzhih’s personal information, meetings with Baidrakov, detailed circumstances of their service together, and the evidence of the crime for which the defendant is accused.
Upon the completion of presenting the materials, the judge asks the defense if they have any comments and if they agree with Ryzhih’s interrogation materials. Both the attorney and the defendant agree.
The session is adjourned.
