18 April 2011, 22:10
Moscow City Court refuses to dismiss jury in Markelov's murder case
Today, the Moscow City Court has dismissed a petition to dissolve the jury, which considers the murder case of lawyer Stanislav Markelov. The jurors retired to the jury room for passing the verdict on the case.
Let us remind you that on April 16 Anna Dobracheva, a juror in the murder case of Stanislav Markelov and Anastasia Baburova, asked for withdrawal, explaining it by the constant pressure on the jurors to force them to pass a guilty verdict.
Today, the defence filed a motion to dissolve the jury; but Judge Zamashnyuk has dismissed the motion finding it ungrounded. "This is nothing else but rumour and speculation of the defence," Zamashnyuk commented the defence's statement about the pressure on the juror.
The Judge also said that the foreman of the jury, accused by the former juror of pressure, retired from the jury because of health problems.
When the session continued, the jury retired to the jury room for passing the verdict on the case, the Russian Agency of Legal and Judicial Information (known as RAPSI) reports.
