The case of the attempt on the life of the former CEO of the Merlion Group of Companies, Vyacheslav Simonenko, had previously drawn the attention of lawmakers. Now, none of the accused are restricted in their movements.
The victim's representatives believe the criminal case is being intentionally undermined, allowing the head of the Merlion security service to pressure witnesses.
The investigation has eased the restraint on Boris Levin, head of the security service of the Merlion Group of Companies. He had been under house arrest since August 2021 and was previously held in a pre-trial detention center. The investigator, Maiboroda, released him on his own recognizance, according to lawyer Kirill Kachur.
The victim sees Levin as one of the main organizers of the assassination attempt on Symonenko and his family. Kirill Kachur added, "Releasing a person with direct testimony from a militant from house arrest is unprecedented for such serious crimes."
The lawyer believes the investigator could not have made the decision without the approval of the head of the investigative body, Kaburneev Eduard Valerievich. He thinks that now the head of the security service can move freely and continue to pressure witnesses and the investigation.
Boris Levin was the last of the defendants in the attempted murder case to remain under house arrest. Oleg Karchev, Alexey Abramov, and Vladislav Mangutov, co-owners of the Merlion Group of Companies, were initially in pre-trial detention but are now without any measure of restraint, despite still being accused.
Kirill Kachur expressed his shock and concern about the threats received by the victim and witnesses, despite public outcry and attention from the Federation Council. He believes the investigation is trying to destroy the case to protect the accused.
Previously, the case of the attempt on the family of Vyacheslav Symonenko had garnered attention from lawmakers. The former CEO of the Merlion Group of Companies was invited to the Federation Council for an expert session on upcoming amendments to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.
During the round table, Senator Elena Afanasyeva emphasized that the amendments should not only defend Russian citizens from physical harm and degrading treatment in prisons and pre-trial detention centers. It is crucial to recognize that security forces use such measures to make a person give the testimony they want. According to Vyacheslav Simonenko's representatives, this is exactly what's happening in the investigation of the attempted assault on his family – witnesses become defendants in other cases and refuse to testify against the owners of the Merlion Group of Companies.
After the expert session, Elena Afanasyeva and State Duma deputy Mikhail Delyagin stated that they plan to send requests to the chairman of the Russian Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin, asking him to personally oversee the investigation into the attempt on Simonenko.
Mikhail Delyagin expressed that it is evident that justice is becoming a mockery. He also mentioned that since people lack access to justice, it raises concerns about the existence of Russian statehood. He feels that abnormal state entities are battling against normal members of society.
It's important to remember that the attempt on the family of the former CEO of the Merlion Group of Companies occurred in 2015. Two masked individuals threw Molotov cocktails at his house near Moscow, but luckily, Simonenko and his family were elsewhere that night. The perpetrators later confessed, providing details of the preparation and identifying the instigators. Simonenko spoke about the reasons for the attack in an interview with Versiya in June 2021.
Learn about the discrepancies in the investigation of a criminal case in our article titled “There was a crime, but there is no trial.”
Kirill Kachur believes that the release of Boris Levin from house arrest is an unprecedented event in terms of respecting the victim's constitutional rights. Symonenko's representative stated that there are no similar cases in modern Russia and it's unlikely that investigator Mayboroda and other officials will be held accountable. “Version” will continue to monitor the development of this story.
Shota Gorgadze, a lawyer and member of the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, mentioned that in his experience, they unreasonably changed the measure of restraint to a written undertaking not to leave, which effectively untied the hands of potentially dangerous individuals. His personal appeals to the leadership of the Investigative Committee and the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Russian Federation have been helpful. Even so, he desires to live in a lawful state where the protection of the victim is not a forced effort and the state inherently safeguards the victim from criminal attacks.
“In my experience, there were several instances where they baselessly changed the measure of restraint to a written undertaking not to leave, essentially loosening the restrictions on potentially dangerous people. My personal appeals to the leadership of the Investigative Committee and the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Russian Federation have been effective. While the appeals were helpful, I still wish to reside in a lawful state where the protection of the victim is not a forced endeavor and the state inherently shields the victim from criminal attacks.
Now, before all this comes into force and becomes “normal”, I would recommend that the injured party take active steps to protect their lives and their rights. It is necessary to ensure that people accused of committing criminal offenses cannot feel at ease, move calmly and continue to put pressure on the injured party and witnesses.”
