Russians Alexandrov, Yerofeyev have right to defense, their trial will continue

14:27, 25.03.2016 1 min read

The trial of Russian intelligence officers Yevgeny Yerofeyev and Alexander Alexandrov will continue and will be brought to its end despite the killing of lawyer Yuriy Hrabovsky, Anatoliy Matios, deputy prosecutor general of Ukraine and chief military prosecutor, said.

Yerofeyev and Alexandrov still have the right to defense, despite what happened. "A court hearing is scheduled for April 5. It will take place under any circumstances and all security mechanisms will be observed on the Russian citizens," Matios told a briefing in Kyiv on Friday.

Matios reiterated that Ukraine intends to ensure that the Ukrainian court give its decision and hand out its sentence to the Russians as soon as possible using procedural and lawful methods.

"And then political and procedural decisions will be made, which will make it possible to return Nadia Savchenko, who is innocent and was unjustly convicted, in accordance with international conventions, if the Russian Federation agrees to that," Matios said.