ST. PETERSBURG (Bellona Web): After the Court was closed for media and international oberservers earlier today the parts in the court discussed whether the three Duma-observers who were present should be allowed to follow the closed part of the court. The Judge, Sergei Golets, made an historic decision when he allowed the Duma members to stay in the Court room.
Procurator Alexandr Gutsan was not happy with the fact that these Duma members could continue to follow the closed part of the trial. According to the new Russian Constitution Duma-members are allowed to be present in Court cases where state secrets are discussed.
-The Nikitin case is the first trial in Russia and the old Soviet where we have been allowed to observ, so this is historical for us, says Jurij Rybakov, Duma member from St. Petersburg, in a statement shortly after the Court ended its first day. The trial starts again tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. (GMT-3). During the second day of the trial Alexandr Nikitin will read his statement and comments to the charges.
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