Israeli citizen Revaz Shmertz has been charged with stealing the property of 16 companies, previously owned by the Russian Ministry of Defense, RIA Novosti reports.
“At the end of January, the investigation brought a new charge against Shmertz. He categorically pleaded not guilty,” said his lawyer, Igor Zuber, who represents the interests of Shmertz.
Igor Zuber informed NEWSru.co.il that the investigation again asks to extend the detention of my client until April 8. The corresponding petition was submitted to the Tverskoy Court of Moscow. The meeting is scheduled for February 18th.
A month ago, the defense of Israeli citizen Revaz Shmertz, who was charged in Russia with committing fraud on an especially large scale, filed a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). “We draw the attention of the Strasbourg Court to the fact that our client was illegally detained and subsequently taken into custody, in addition, the terms of detention were illegally extended to Shmerts. Shmerts was illegally and absolutely arbitrarily deprived of liberty and was in the internal affairs bodies without more than 11 hours of properly executed documents.Subsequently, Shmerts was taken into custody after 55 hours from the moment of actual detention, that is, our client was detained for a period of more than 48 hours without a court decision.Well, the last violation in question in our complaint in the context of the violation of Shmertz’s right to liberty and security, this is an unlawful and unreasonable extension of the detention. our principal has five young children dependent on us, nor numerous nye guarantees for him by respected people, nor the possibility of making a bail in the amount established by the court. Thus, the Russian courts act contrary to the generally binding norms and requirements of international law, basing their decisions on the exclusively unfounded wording that Schmerz, allegedly, can hide,” Zuber’s lawyer said at the time.
As TASS reported, personal guarantees for Israeli citizen Revaz Shmertz were submitted by deputies of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, Chief Rabbi of Russia Adolf Shayevich and other religious and public figures.
Earlier it was reported that evidence against Shmertz was given by Valery Kulish, a lawyer for the Military Construction Department of Moscow, who fell out of the window of the fourth floor of the Main Investigation Department of the Main Investigation Department of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for Moscow on Novoslobodskaya Street in early October 2021 and died. In 2010, Kulish was convicted of “fraud” and “laundering money obtained by criminal means” to 12 years in prison. However, later the term was reduced to 5.5 years. Kulish denied his involvement in the crime and claimed that the case was initiated not without the participation of the ex-director of the VSUM (Military Construction Department) Alexei Dushutin for refusing to participate in fraud. Dushutin was later convicted of fraud with VSUM facilities, and the court sentenced him to 4 years in prison. Some time later, Dushutin was charged with a new scam and transferred from the pre-trial detention center to house arrest. The person involved in the case took advantage of the opportunity and fled. In the summer of 2021, the criminal case was resumed.
A criminal case against Revaz Shmertz on the fact of committing fraud on an especially large scale was initiated in 2014 and is being investigated by the Main Investigative Directorate of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for Moscow on the basis of a statement from the relatives of Alexei Dushutin. According to investigators, Shmerts and other persons stole commercial real estate belonging to Vorsma LLC.
Revaz Shmerts pleads not guilty. His lawyers insist that the client was not involved in fraud and believe that he was the victim of a slander. According to the lawyer, Schmertz was not familiar with the other defendants who, “for the sake of choosing a measure of restraint in the form of house arrest,” slandered an Israeli citizen. They met in a paddy wagon when they were taken to court after their arrest, the lawyer claims.