Judge Igor Nikitchuk of the 2nd Western District Military Court made the session closed before the arguments in the case of 'treason' and 'sabotage' against 19-year-old Yuri Mikheev and 20-year-old twin brothers Timofey and Matvey Melnikov, reported a correspondent from 'Mediazona'* from the courtroom. The court justified its actions by the receipt of 'threats' to the participants in the process.
In previous sessions, Judge Nikitchuk told all the relatives of the accused who spoke that he had not yet heard their sincere remorse in court. He also gave recommendations to the lawyers to better prepare their clients for the sessions. 'I have a request for you to talk to them in the detention center so that the court's hands are not tied [regarding the severity of the punishment]. Well, you understand what I'm talking about. About the position,' 'Mediazona' quotes him.
At the session on February 11, when the parents of the Melnikov brothers were interrogated, the judge scolded them for the poor upbringing of their sons and also hinted that Tatyana Melnikova, who holds the position of deputy director of a school, would surely be 'asked' to leave her job after the court delivers the verdict.
The young people were detained in November 2023 on charges of 'attempted sabotage by a group of persons with severe consequences,' and the Melnikov brothers were also charged under articles of 'treason' and participation in the activities of the Legion 'Freedom of Russia'**. According to the investigation, they were recruited by Ukrainian intelligence services and 'planned to set fire to military transport vehicles and other military objects located on the territory of a military unit in the Dmitrovsky district of the Moscow region, having collected information about their location.' All three confessed to the charges during the investigation.
* Recognized as a 'foreign agent' in Russia.
** Recognized as a 'terrorist organization' in Russia.
Photo: SOTAvision