27 February 2021, 11:19
Circassian activist Martin Kochesoko treats his case as law enforcers' shame
In his last plea in court, Martin Kochesoko has denied the charges of drug dealing and called his public activities the reason for his prosecution. Law enforcers fabricated the case unconvincingly; the public is confident in the activist's innocence, Kochesoko's supporters have stated.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the prosecutor had demanded to sentence Kochesoko to four years of conditional imprisonment. The detention witnesses were the people dependent on law enforcers; while the secret witnesses failed to clarify the circumstances of the case, the advocate has stated.
Martin Kochesoko, the head of the "Khabze" public organization and a co-chairman of the Democratic Congress of the Russian Nations, was detained on June 7, 2019. At first he pleaded guilty, but later rejected his testimonies; he insists that the drugs were planted on him.
"The case against me was fabricated; and so ineptly that it's an insult to the entire legal system of the Russian Federation," Mr Kochesoko has stated. He named his social activities as the reason for the prosecution.
"All my efforts were aimed at restoring the historical memory of our people, preserving the language and culture. I also took an active civil position on issues of local self-government and fight against corruption," said the activist.
Aslan Beshto, the head of the NGO "Kabardian Congress", has called the Kochesoko's speech "duly balanced and competent." He treats the activist's prosecution as pressure on the Circassian national movement.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on February 26, 2020 at 10:08 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Author: Lyudmila Maratova Source: CK correspondent
