Court refuses to postpone trial of Odesa ex-military commissar Borisov

The Prymorskyi District Court of Odesa continued to consider the case of the former head of the Odesa Regional Territorial Center for Manning and Social Support, Yevhen Borysov, who is accused of leaving his unit without permission.

As Intent 's correspondent reported from the courtroom, prosecutors from the specialized defense prosecutor's office in the southern region requested that the accused be held in custody as a preventive measure.

The defense also filed a number of motions, which are still being considered. At the beginning of the hearing, the judge of the Primorsky District Court, Larysa Yershova, asked the participants whether they trusted the court and whether they had any challenges. The prosecutors and the defense did not have any challenges.

However, Yevhen Borysov's lawyers added that Larysa Yershova should decide on her own to recuse herself. After that, the accused Yevgeniy Borisov filed a motion to postpone today's hearing. The defense asked journalists not to record this because personal information was being disclosed. Borisov himself also added that the media did not provide truthful information about him.

The lawyers asked to partially close the trial. The judge approved the motion. After hearing Yevhen Borysov's arguments in a closed session, the judge refused to postpone the trial. After that, in an open court session, the prosecutor's office read out their motion. They asked to send the former military commander to a pre-trial detention center without the right to post bail, and if the court finds grounds, to set it in the amount of 300 million 20 hryvnias.

The defendant's lawyers asked to return the prosecutor's motion. According to them, it has significant violations and prosecutors do not have sufficient evidence. However, the judge did not find this to be true and, after a break, denied their motion.

Then the defense filed another motion: to postpone the hearing because on October 9, the Supreme Court will consider their motion to change the jurisdiction. The lawyers asked the Supreme Court to transfer the case to the Pechersk District Court of Kyiv.

"The powers of the Primorsky court have not been suspended, so we have no reason to postpone," one of them said.

The judge announced the third adjournment of today's hearing to familiarize herself with the Supreme Court's ruling and, upon returning, refused to postpone the hearing. According to Larysa Yershova, the Supreme Court's ruling does not mention the suspension of the trial in the Primorsky District Court.

"I will not choose my words. I am recusing myself from the case, I do not trust the court. You have not satisfied a single motion. I ask you to make a bold, fair decision. I am recusing myself, please grant it, because the defense does not perceive me as a professional judge," Borisov's lawyers said.

Currently, the hearing, which was supposed to consider the motion to impose a preventive measure on Yevhen Borisov, has been suspended. The issue of the judge's recusal is being resolved.

Юлія Химерик