Human Rights Information Agency "Express-Chronicle"

English Weekly News Digest

October 28 1996

YEKATERINBURG (E-C) On 23 October the Verkh-Iset district court of Yekaterinburg heard the case of Denis Yazykov, who is charged under article 80 part 1 of the RF Criminal Code of evading military service.

The court was chaired by Judge Ye.Shoponyak. Neither the prosecutor and nor representatives of the enlistment commission appeared in court. The defence lawyer was D.Lomakov. The court granted the defence petition for the calling as witnesses of Yazykov's parents, and also Movement against Violence representative Gleb Edelev. A petition for the summoning of additional witnesses - representatives of the military commissariat and human rights information centre lawyer N.Vovk - was rejected. During the questioning of witnesses and the defendant, it was revealed that on 22 December last year at 7.20am, a group of persons in civilian clothing, introducing themselves as officials of the enlistment committee and the police, broke into Yazykov's apartment. According to the defendant, he received no summons. At the enlistment office he wrote a statement requesting that he be sent to alternative military service. However, enlistment committee officials threatened "to send him tomorrow for four years of alternative serv

ice in Chechnya." The conscript withdrew his request and signed the summons to appear on 23 December. On that day, through his father, he submitted a second statement requesting alternative service, which enlistment committee officials refused to accept. On 25 December a complaint against the decision of the enlistment commission was submitted to the Verkh-Iset district court. On 19 February this year the Verkh-Iset district prosecutor initiated criminal proceedings against Yazykov. At the end of May, agents of the district prosecutor's office, entering via the balcony of the third floor apartment, arrested Yazykov and brought him to a pre-trial detention cell. After the intervention of human rights organisations, Yazykov was released on signing a non-departure protocol.

The questioning of witnesses and speeches of lawyers was followed by a short deliberation, and then the court ruled to send the case for further investigation. The Yazykov case is the first trial of a conscientious objector in Yekaterinburg.