The Leningrad Regional Court refused to change the measure of restraint in the form of house arrest to the 80-year-old professor Valery Mitko accused of treason (Article 275 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) to a softer one, which provides for walks, although he had previously had the opportunity to go outside.
Lawyer Anton Golubev told Znak.com about this.
The scientist’s lawyer explained that Mitko was allowed to go outside from April to August, but then walks were banned on the recommendation of the Deputy Prosecutor General: “The prosecutor referred to the fact that the current legislation does not provide for walks when imposing house arrest. The legality of this ban was confirmed by the Constitutional Court.”
Golubev stressed that the court had the opportunity to change the measure of restraint to a ban on certain actions. In this case, all other restrictions, except for walking, would be preserved.
At the meeting, Mitko’s defense provided a doctor’s report, which confirmed the severity of the professor’s illness and recommended that he be allowed to walk. The court did not take into account the document. The lawyer plans to appeal this decision.
It should be noted that Valery Mitko has already suffered three heart attacks, and after the installation of five stents in his heart, he received the third group of disability. According to Golubev, the scientist’s condition worsened after the initiation of a criminal case. In the summer of 2021, Mitko ended up in intensive care.
The case against Valery Mitko was opened in June 2020. The FSB believes that he sold information about Russian submarines to Chinese intelligence agencies. According to Mitko himself, the information in question was taken from open sources, in particular from textbooks from the 1990s. He intended to use printouts during lectures. February 8, 2021 Mitko extended house arrest for another six months.
