The son of Vladimir Dudka, one of the persons involved in the new case of the “Crimean infiltrators”, told the Crimean Human Rights Group (CHRG) that the arranged attorney Oksana Zhelezniak was able to visit her client in the Bakhchisaray temporary detention facility (TDF) on November 14. At about 12:30 local time, the lawyer left the Bakhchisaray building after a meeting with him. According to the son, the conversation lawyer with Dudka was a short one, 17 minutes only. Oksana Zhelezniak found out that her client was being taken away from the Bakhchisaray TDF building with no reasons provided.
The son told that during Dudka’s conversation with the lawyer, Vladimir Dudka completely denied his involvement in the crime of which he is accused and he had given evidence under duress in the presence of the appointed counsel Oksana Akulenko.
Moreover, Dudka said that he was forced to decline the lawyer arranged by his son. Also, the son assumes that his father will most likely be forced to waive the independent counsel. Oksana Zhelezniak told to Dudka’s son, her client appeared to be extremely morbid.
His health condition causes great concern, because he suffers from tachycardia and peptic ulcer disease. Before his arrest, he sought medical assistance for the treatment of the ulcer but due to the detention, could not take it. The defendant looked intimidated and psychologically depressed. He does not receive any health care in the TDF, which endangers his life and health.
Besides, Dudka’s son is under apprehension of his and his family members’ lives, as he suspects that his father testified under threats against his relatives. Therefore, it is possible to assert that psychological methods of pressure are applied to the Crimean.
Also, the son fears that the arranged defence counsel will in the end be removed from the case, so that the investigation can carry on without an independent legal counsel.
It is important to note that there are no grounds for Vladimir Dudka to be kept in the Bakhchisaray TDF, because, according to a court ruling, he was to be transferred either to the Simferopol Pre-Trial Detention Facility or to the Sevastopol TDF.
His relatives have never been granted an opportunity to meet with the detainee and give him warm clothes and other necessary things. The Bakhchisaray TDF refused to accept any parcels for Vladimir Dudka.
If the lawyer Oksana Zhelezniak is removed from the case through coercing Dudka to waive an independent counsel, it will be a confirmation of illegal investigative methods.
