03:59Mandatory credit from 00:00 to 01:28: press office of Babushkinsky district court
Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny's lawyer Olga Mikhailova said that violations against the law were made during Friday’s court hearing on charges of defamation of World War II veteran Ignat Artemenko, Moscow.
"The situation was quite tense because in our opinion during this process, a huge number of violations were committed against penal law and criminal procedure, on the part of the judge and the prosecutor," she said.
The court postponed the hearing until February 12, explaining that the court's working hours had ended.
According to Mikhailova, neither Ignat Artemenko nor his grandson filed a complaint against Navalny adding that the court has dismissed the request to show the complaint to the witness.
"The court did not allow that to be done, announced a break, and [postponed the hearing] until February 12 at 10 am. The interrogation of the witness Kolesnikov will continue," she added.
World War II veteran Artemenko was also questioned via a video call during the hearing.
The anti-corruption activist Navalny is accused of slandering Artemenko, who spoke in favour of Russia’s constitutional amendments last year, on his personal Twitter and Telegram accounts.
If convicted, Navalny faces a fine of up to one million roubles ($13,335/€11,130) or corrective labour of up to 240 hours.
Several foreign diplomats, including the second secretary of the British Embassy in Moscow Andrew Bell, arrived at the court earlier to attend the hearing.
The Russian Foreign Ministry welcomed the presence of foreign diplomats "to support the WWII veteran," the RIA Novosti news agency cited the Ministry.
On Tuesday, another court sentenced the Kremlin critic to two years and eight months in a penal colony for violating the 2014 suspended sentence for embezzlement.
Russia: 'Huge number of violations' – Navalny’s lawyer after WWII veteran defamation case hearing
Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny's lawyer Olga Mikhailova said that violations against the law were made during Friday’s court hearing on charges of defamation of World War II veteran Ignat Artemenko, Moscow.
"The situation was quite tense because in our opinion during this process, a huge number of violations were committed against penal law and criminal procedure, on the part of the judge and the prosecutor," she said.
The court postponed the hearing until February 12, explaining that the court's working hours had ended.
According to Mikhailova, neither Ignat Artemenko nor his grandson filed a complaint against Navalny adding that the court has dismissed the request to show the complaint to the witness.
"The court did not allow that to be done, announced a break, and [postponed the hearing] until February 12 at 10 am. The interrogation of the witness Kolesnikov will continue," she added.
World War II veteran Artemenko was also questioned via a video call during the hearing.
The anti-corruption activist Navalny is accused of slandering Artemenko, who spoke in favour of Russia’s constitutional amendments last year, on his personal Twitter and Telegram accounts.
If convicted, Navalny faces a fine of up to one million roubles ($13,335/€11,130) or corrective labour of up to 240 hours.
Several foreign diplomats, including the second secretary of the British Embassy in Moscow Andrew Bell, arrived at the court earlier to attend the hearing.
The Russian Foreign Ministry welcomed the presence of foreign diplomats "to support the WWII veteran," the RIA Novosti news agency cited the Ministry.
On Tuesday, another court sentenced the Kremlin critic to two years and eight months in a penal colony for violating the 2014 suspended sentence for embezzlement.
Mandatory credit from 00:00 to 01:28: press office of Babushkinsky district court
Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny's lawyer Olga Mikhailova said that violations against the law were made during Friday’s court hearing on charges of defamation of World War II veteran Ignat Artemenko, Moscow.
"The situation was quite tense because in our opinion during this process, a huge number of violations were committed against penal law and criminal procedure, on the part of the judge and the prosecutor," she said.
The court postponed the hearing until February 12, explaining that the court's working hours had ended.
According to Mikhailova, neither Ignat Artemenko nor his grandson filed a complaint against Navalny adding that the court has dismissed the request to show the complaint to the witness.
"The court did not allow that to be done, announced a break, and [postponed the hearing] until February 12 at 10 am. The interrogation of the witness Kolesnikov will continue," she added.
World War II veteran Artemenko was also questioned via a video call during the hearing.
The anti-corruption activist Navalny is accused of slandering Artemenko, who spoke in favour of Russia’s constitutional amendments last year, on his personal Twitter and Telegram accounts.
If convicted, Navalny faces a fine of up to one million roubles ($13,335/€11,130) or corrective labour of up to 240 hours.
Several foreign diplomats, including the second secretary of the British Embassy in Moscow Andrew Bell, arrived at the court earlier to attend the hearing.
The Russian Foreign Ministry welcomed the presence of foreign diplomats "to support the WWII veteran," the RIA Novosti news agency cited the Ministry.
On Tuesday, another court sentenced the Kremlin critic to two years and eight months in a penal colony for violating the 2014 suspended sentence for embezzlement.