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International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analytics Friday, 29.03.2024, 02:42

The Supreme Court in Latvia protected 79-years old pensioner from KNAB harassment

BC, Riga, 26.11.2015.Print version
One of the most disgraceful recent court proceedings was put to rest. On Tuesday, November 24th, the Supreme Court terminated a case against a 79-year old pensioner, Nina Mihailova, which was persistently pushed ahead by KNAB for 8 years.

KNAB turned against Nina Mihailova almost 8 years ago, in 2008, when an elderly woman, scared by aggressors in civilian clothes, did not open the doors to the house of an entrepreneur Inara Vilkaste. Nina worked as a housekeeper for a long time.

 

Nina Mihailova’s fear was very grounded, taking into account that not long before this event there was an attempt to kidnap Inara Vilkaste’s and director of Customs Criminal Board and deputy director general of State Revenue Service, Vladimir Vashkevich’s daughter, a car exploded at the house’s gates, and there was an attempt to murder Vladimir Vashkevich near his place of work.

 

People, who were taken as criminals by the pensioner, were KNAB officers. They tried to take Inara Vilkaste’s house by assault, on her birthday by the way.

 

At the time of the onslaught an elderly woman with the multitude of chronic illnesses felt sick. Later she admitted that it seemed to her that a gang of criminals was trying to break into the house. Because of hypertensive crisis and a real danger of a heart attack, an ambulance was called for the pensioner.

 

However, KNAB officers, acting outside their jurisdiction, revenged Inara Vilkaste and Vladimir Vashkevich via an elderly woman: they initiated criminal proceedings against her for resisting the officers of law-enforcement agencies. Witnesses and others involved in this case are a well-known group of KNAB employees, whose names were spotted in multiple scandals regarding fabrication of criminal cases, abuse of power, fraud and forgery of evidences – Juris Jurash, Juta Strike, Andzey Klavinsh, Rimants Kuzma and others.

 

The absurdity of this case was obvious from the very beginning: how an elderly person in poor health could offer any resistance? But this discrepancy blatantly did not confuse KNAB officers.

 

For almost eight years (!) KNAB officers tried to achieve punishment for the pensioner. However, on Tuesday November 24th, Department of Criminal cases of the Supreme Court put an end to one of the most mocking and inhumane proceedings, initiated by KNAB. The verdict is univocal and is not subject to any appeal: the case against Nina Mihailova is to be terminated.

 

The court tried a case in oral hearings and after listening to opinions of attorney and public prosecutor, decided to change previously established practice and acknowledged that Nina Mihailova did not resist an enforcement of court decision, because a decision of an investigative judge is not a court decision for the purposes of LR Criminal Law.

 

Lawyer, Jelena Kvjatkovska, who is representing Nina Mihailova’s interest in the court, stated: “I believe that the Supreme Court in this case showed an example of fair criminal proceedings within the meaning of European Convention on Human Rights. Against all the odds the court put fairness of the verdict first and even broke away from the established judicial practice. I think the Supreme Court decision will become a precedent hereafter. In my opinion, lately the Supreme Court is consistently raising the bar of requirements for observation of lawfulness and human rights, which undoubtedly leads to the improvement of situation with observation of human rights in Latvia”.

 

When commenting the court verdict, Inara Vilkaste said: “At one of court hearings Nina Mihailova, whose eightieth anniversary we will celebrate at the beginning of next year, said that her dream is – to die an innocent woman. From the bottom of my heart I wish her yet many happy years and I am very glad that the court finally brought this outrageous situation to an end. Today’s court verdict indicated that the law and justice could prevail, but you need patience and knowledge to achieve it. You have to be strong to stand against lawless actions”.

 

However, will any of KNAB representatives be made liable for the damage that was caused to poor health of Nina Mihailova by these proceedings? And how much of taxpayers’ money was thrown away when KNAB for eight years tried to reach Inara Vilkaste and Vladimir Vashkevich via an intimidated pensioner?






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