Lawyer of UOJ journalist challenges judge because of her bias

Valeriy Stupnitsky in the court room. Photo: UOJ

During a session in the Solomyansky District Court, the lawyer of the UOJ journalist Valeriy Stupnitsky requested the recusal of Judge Svitlana Horbatovska due to her bias against the defendant.

The judge did not allow the Orthodox journalist to sit next to his defense attorney, despite the fact that Stupnitsky has a hearing impairment and a change in his position could have helped him effectively participate in his own trial. The judge justified her decision by stating that the identity of the suspect is not considered by the investigative judge; this is the responsibility of the pre-trial investigation authorities. Horbatovska responded sharply to the defense when the lawyer referred to the practices of the European Court of Human Rights regarding where the suspect should sit during the trial. After four minutes of bickering, she closed the session.

As reported, the lawyer explained why UOJ journalists cannot be charged with treason.

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