The Kyiv Court of Appeal postponed consideration of the appeal by the head of RIA Novosti Ukraine, Kirill Vyshinsky, on August 20. This was reported to reporters by his lawyer Andrei Domansky. The complaint was filed due to the extension of the period of detention of the journalist until September 19.

“Other lawyers who are involved in this case could not arrive on time at this hearing because they are taking part in another criminal case ... Therefore, a request was filed taking into account (interests . - RT ) our client Kirill Vyshinsky so that he would have at least two defenders to ensure the right to defense ... it was upheld by the court, ”said Domansky.

Vyshinsky’s lawyer, in an interview with Ruptly video agency, said that he was given a new suspect in the Prosecutor General’s Office in a case in which he has been a defendant since April 2018. Domansky noted that he participated in this case as a lawyer, but after he began to deal with Vyshinsky, an investigation was opened against him.

“Today we see that the Prosecutor General’s Office, simultaneously with the dates of the consideration of the case of Kirill Vyshinsky and with the intensification of the case on it, begins to put pressure on me, that is, I see that these cases are interconnected. These procedural actions are aimed at discrediting me as a defender, ”the lawyer said.

Domansky also called the case in which he was accused "confluent." All inconvenient cases are specifically tied to such cases, so that they cannot be appealed, he explained. Domansky is accused of two articles, these are “illegal privatization” and “legalization of property obtained illegally”. The case is related to the privatization of a non-residential building on the territory of the Ancient Kiev Nature Reserve. In January, the lawyer was searched, and subsequently a preventive measure in the form of a pledge was imposed on him.

Domansky also said that he received a summons demanding to appear at the Prosecutor General of Ukraine.

“I am being summoned to the Prosecutor General’s Office today to present me with a new suspicion in a case in which I was already notified of the suspicion. What and how is unknown to me, already at two o’clock I will know what the Prosecutor General’s is bringing to me new, ”Domansky told reporters.

Thus, the Ukrainian authorities are exerting legal pressure on lawyer Vyshinsky, said Andrei Suzdaltsev, deputy dean of the faculty of world economy and world politics at the HSE.

“The mass of laws of Ukraine itself have been violated in the arrest and detention of him. Naturally, the lawyer in this case acts as an irritant. This is pressure on him, ”the expert commented in an interview with RT.

The head of the Ukrainian analytical center, economist Alexei Okhrimenko, believes that the entire lawsuit, including the defense dialogue, is controlled by the old elites. Changes for the better can be expected only when the new president, Vladimir Zelensky, appoints new figures to judicial posts, the expert is sure.

“So far, Attorney General Lutsenko. He is trying to show the appearance of work. We need to wait for a new prosecutor. By and large, there is such talk that as soon as Zelensky finally changes his structure, Vyshinsky’s problem will be easier to solve, ”he said.

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According to Ohrimenko, the trial is being delayed due to the lack of understanding in the Zelensky team of what to do with Vyshinsky.

“As I understand it, there is a group struggle in the team. There is a group that offers not to let Vyshinsky go and punish exponentially, but there are those who offer to quickly end this mess, let go of Vyshinsky and not create problems. But Zelensky has not yet made a decision. Therefore, the court takes a break, because it does not want to decide anything, ”the expert suggested.

In addition, the Ukrainian leadership is still planning to use it for an exchange, so it takes time, waiting for the opportunity. This opinion is shared by Suzdal residents.

“The Ukrainian side expects the Russian side to form a counter proposal. The main desire of the Ukrainian side is to give the convicted Sentsov and return 24 Ukrainian sailors. Strategically, such actions indicate that the Ukrainian leadership did not have a more or less clear plan for the development of relations with Russia, ”the expert explained.

Proceedings

Recall that Kirill Vyshinsky was taken into custody in Kiev on May 15, 2018, two days after that he was arrested by the Kherson City Court. The journalist is accused of high treason, he faces up to 15 years of freedom. Vyshinsky considers the charges unsubstantiated and refuses to plead guilty.

On July 19, 2019, the Podolsky court of Kiev extended Vyshinsky's arrest until September 19, 2019. The court granted the petition of the prosecution alleging that Vyshinsky could leave Ukraine because he had Russian citizenship. The next meeting on the choice of preventive measure should be held on September 16.

Vyshinsky himself then stated that he did not intend to flee the country and did not agree to his exchange for Ukrainians imprisoned in Russia.

“I'm not going to run away, I want justice. I heard that they want to exchange me, but I’m not a thing to change me, ”he told reporters.

On July 29, the journalist’s defense appealed the decision to extend the arrest. Andrei Domansky said the appeal was lodged with the Kiev Court of Appeal.

To stop the persecution of Vyshinsky called on many public figures in Russia and Western countries. In particular, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Arlem Desir spoke out with a demand to release the journalist.