On May 18 Ekaterina Klodt, daughter of the arrested head of the Karelian 'Memorial’ Yuri Dmitriev, informed the correspondent of «7x7» that she could not meet her father for more than a month.
According to her, Petrozavodsk city court explained that communication with her father was prohibited, since Ekaterina herself is a witness in the criminal case. She will be able to see him only after she giving testimony. It will happen no earlier than June 1 — the first court hearing on the case of the Karelian researcher.
On May 17, Petrozavodsk city court held a preliminary meeting. Despite the fact that it was held in camera, Yuri Dmitriev's children came to court to support him — his son Egor and daughter Ekaterina, as well as acquaintances of the historian and city activists. Dmitriev entered the courtroom under the screams ‘Yura, we are with you!'.
According to Yuri Dmitriev's lawyer Viktor Anufriev, at the preliminary session the court refused to consider the petition to exclude the evidence in the form of an earlier examination of photographs and termination of the criminal case. This issue was postponed to the main meeting.
Yuri Dmitriev is a researcher of the history of political repression, head of the Karelian 'Memorial'. On December 13, 2016 he was detained on suspicion of making pornographic pictures of his adopted daughter. On December 15, the court decided to arrest Dmitriev.
On March 9, 2017, in addition to producing pornographic materials depicting minors the historian was also accused of Article 135 of the Russian Criminal Code ('Non-violent indecent assaults') and 222 ('Illegal keeping of firearms').
Dmitriev was supported by scholars, public figures, human rights activists, journalists, Orthodox priests and participants in international days in memory of the victims of the Great Terror. The case of Dmitriev was discussed during the retreat of the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation.
Anna Yarovaya, «7x7»