Приговор при свечах / Judgment in candlelight - Владимир Анатольевич Арсентьев

Yezhov confirmed his testimony at trial but could not provide the source of his information. Therefore, in accordance with Article 75 Part 2 of the CPC RSFSR, his testimony, except for direct accusation of Leskov, cannot serve as evidence to the case concerning the defendants he mentioned.

Neither could victim Yezhov explain to the court the fact that victims Pyzhov and Kozhin, whose testimony is provided below, denied the circumstances he described.

Victim Pyzhov testified that in late October Porokhov suggested that they should meet in the hotel. Pyzhov came there with Yezhov and had a conversation with Porokhov in the hallway. Porokhov was interested in the whereabouts of some hijacked car. Pyzhov was not involved in the hijacking and told that to Porokhov. There were no threats or violence. Yezhov left first, and Pyzhov left after him. Pyzhov wasn’t physically harmed in any way, and he didn’t tell Yezhov anything. Porokhov didn’t threaten him in any way at that time or any other. He doesn’t know whether Yezhov had the same experience. After a day or two, Yezhov and Kozhin went off to a logging camp. At some point, Pyzhov learned that Yezhov’s house got blown up and that Yezhov’s wife and daughter died in the fire. However, he doesn’t know the details, the perpetrators, or the possible reasons of that event. No one has made attempts on his life. He doesn’t know whether anyone has made attempts on the life of Yezhov.

Victim Pyzhov refused to testify at trial, explaining that he wasn’t going to confirm or deny anything in court.

Victim Kozhin testified that the deceased Barinova and Svetlova were his mother and sister correspondingly, while victim Sukhova is his grandmother. They all lived in the same house as him and Yezhov. There were no conflicts, and he had not heard any threats. One or two days before the event, he and Yezhov went away on business. That was when they learned about Barinova and Svetlova’s death. Later, he learned from Yezhov and from the press that Porokhov might be involved in destroying their house, however, he doesn’t know any other details. At the end of October, Kozhin and Yezhov were driving in a car, Kozhin at the wheel. While they were passing by the wharf, two cars pinned them to the curb. Someone fired from one of the cars, he didn’t see who. Kozhin managed to get away in the car, but the SUV pursued them for two or three more kilometers, and someone inside kept shooting at them. Then they lost them. There were no other attempts on either his or Pyzhov’s life. Shortly before their departure, Pyzhov came to their home freezing and covered in blood. However, Pyzhov didn’t tell them anything, and Kozhin doesn’t know anything about it.

Kozhin declared at trial that he did not remember the circumstances described above. However, after they were read out by the court, he confirmed them all without adding any details.

Victim Sukhova testified that she had lived in the house together with her daughter Barinova, Barinova’s husband Yezhov, and grandchildren Svetlova and Kozhin. At the end of October, her daughter drew her attention to a car that had been parked close to their house for several days. Sukhova knows from Ai that Yezhov had been shot at. However, she hadn’t heard about any conflicts or threats. Somebody called asking for Yezhov, and she answered that he went away on a business trip. She woke up at night, hearing a noise and smelling something burning. She started looking for her bag with her pension money, which she didn’t find because everything was filled with smoke. She burned her feet while searching for the bag and then jumped out the window. Later she learned that her daughter and granddaughter had died. Her properties worth 19 thousand rubles were devastated in the fire, which caused significant damages to her.

At trial, victim Sukhova confirmed her pre-trial testimony.

Victim Ai testified both to the preliminary investigation and the court that she had given her car to Kozhin. On the eve of the fire, she found that car in a damaged state in the courtyard of her mother’s house. Ai’s mother let her know that Yezhov had returned the car in such a state. Later, Yezhov told Ai that there was an armed attack against him and Kozhin, wherein her car got impacted, which caused significant damages to Ai.

Witness Bukin testified as follows, failing to recall his testimony at trial but confirming everything after it was read out by the court. He worked as Leskov’s guard. He, Leskov, Bednyakov, and Knyazev departed to the city of N after the burial and wake of Biryuk. Late at night, they stopped in a cul-de-sac. A stranger got in the car, a hunter as Knyazev explained. Leskov was asking the guy about a grenade launcher and the way it works. The guy answered that the grenade launcher might also not work, that is, fail. Then the hunter got out of the car, and Bukin never saw him again. After some time, another car arrived. Leskov send Bednyakov and Knyazev to that car and then started driving somewhere. At some point, Leskov told Bukin that they should hear an explosion, but Bukin did not hear any explosion. Then Bednyakov and Knyazev quickly got in the car, Knyazev smelling like gasoline. Answering Leskov’s question, Knyazev told that they had burned the car and left the grenade launcher inside. Bukin saw a burning house from a hill. There were several three-liter gasoline jars in Leskov’s car, which were taken away by Knyazev and Bednyakov.

According to a document attached to the case file at trial, Biryuk died on October 30 and was buried in a cemetery on November 4, as listed in the archives.

At the initiative of the