Kyiv appellate court upholds legality of arrest of Russian Yerofeyev captured in Donbas
KYIV. June 10 (Interfax) - A court of appeals in Kyiv has rejected an appeal filed by the Russian man Yevgeny Yerofeyev, who was captured in Ukraine's Luhansk region, against the court order to remand him in custody.
The panel of judges of the Appellate Court made this decision on Wednesday after hearing the appeal from Yerofeyev' s defense lawyers, an Interfax correspondent said.
"The ruling by the lower court shall be left unaltered, the appellate complaint rejected," presiding judge Maria Pryndiuk said.
The court read out the resolution only. Full text of its ruling will be made public later.
During the court hearing, the defense lawyer, Oksana Sokolovska, said that new circumstances emerged since the appeal was filed: her client has been moved to a pre-trial investigation unit of the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU).
She stressed that Yerofeyev should be in hospital, having sustained a severe injury. She said the court should take into account his health condition and need for treatment "in order to avoid any tortures."
She asked the court to grant her complaint against the remand order and reject the investigator's request to detain her client.
For their part, prosecutors asked the court to uphold the lower court ruling, which the court did eventually.
When asked at the hearing whether he is a Russian citizen, Yerofteev said: "I am." He also said that he is from Togliatti and a member of the Russian Armed Forces.
He told the court he saw no reason to be tried on terror charges. "I see no reason to be held accountable for that," Yerofeyev said.
At the same time he said he cannot submit documentation to support his claims. "So far I don't have documents confirming (that he is a Russian military serviceman). There is no sense in talking about it," the Russian man said.
Speaking of the clashes which took place when he and another Russian, Alexander Alexandrov, were captured near Shchastya (Luhansk region) by the Ukrainian military, Yerofeyev said that he did not have the task to kill Ukrainians and that the fight during which a Ukrainian soldier was killed was an accident.
"It was an accidental armed clash, there was no malicious intent... There was no task to kill, it was a reconnaissance mission," he said.
After the hearing Sokolovska categorically refused to speak to the press, having accused reporters of filming her client during the hearing.
Two Russian citizens, Yevgeny Yerofeyev and Alexander Alexandrov, were detained in the military operation zone outside the town of Shchastya, in the Luhansk region, on May 16. One of them was wounded in the arm and the other in the leg.
On May 19, Ukrainian investigators announced that they suspected Yerofeyev and Alexandrov of involvement in terrorist activities.
The Russian Defense Ministry said on May 18 that Yerofeyev and Alexandrov "were not on active service with the Russian armed forces at the moment of their detention."
On May 22 the Shevchenkivsky District Court in Kyiv ordered that the men be remanded into custody until July 19.
The captives have undergone several surgeries and other medical treatment at the Main Clinic Hospital of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry. On May 26 and May 28 they were visited in hospital by a Russian consul. The Russian Embassy has said diplomatic visits will be regular.
It was reported earlier on Wednesday that Yerofeyev had been transferred from the hospital to a detention facility.