13:13, 19 November 2008

Sochi: judge in "black realtors" case is against public in courtroom

In Sochi, jurymen are hearing the case of the so-called "black realtors". Seven persons are in the prisoners' dock, including three militiamen and a notary. The information that arrived from the Centre for Defence of Citizens' Constitutional Rights and Freedoms to the "Caucasian Knot" runs that although the court sitting passes in the open regime, judge Klimov is by all ways preventing the public from being present in the courtroom.

Late in October the board of jurymen started hearings on the case of realtors accused of appropriation of housing space of lonely elderly persons.

The judge and the state prosecutors (they are three in the process) try to distort the circumstances of the case before the jurymen, the Centre for Defence of Citizens' Constitutional Rights and Freedoms insists. Thus, for more than a month already judge Klimov would not even consider the petitions of the suffered party on appointing representatives, imposing arrest on the apartment, and about interrogation of witnesses.

In the opinion of human rights activists, public prosecutors and the judge are also involved in frauds with apartments.