After today the relatives will also be addressing the court on 7, 9, 10, 13, 14, 16, 21, 23 and 24 September. Altogether, circa 90 relatives will share their personal story in the courtroom.
The relatives address the court
The court has emphasized once again that hearings in this criminal trial can have a deep emotional impact on the relatives. Today and over the coming three weeks, the court will be listening attentively to the relatives who speak. They will talk about their loved ones, about losing them, about the consequences of this tragedy that struck over seven years ago, and about what they think of this criminal trial.
Because it is important that the right to address the court can be exercised properly, Counsel for the Relatives has prepared these days together with the Prosecution and court staff.
Most relatives will be speaking in the courtroom. Some relatives will do so from a different location or via a video message. Others, such as lawyers from Counsel for the Relatives or staff from Victim Support Netherlands, will speak on their behalf as well.
Investigation by the investigating judge
Today the court announced that the investigating judge has reported that the Russian authorities have denied the request to examine the co-accused as witnesses in the criminal trial of Pulatov. The Russian authorities have indicated that the Russian Federation’s Code of Criminal Procedure excludes the possibility of examining a suspect in a criminal case as a witness in the same case. Examining co-accused as witnesses in Pulatov’s criminal trial has therefore not been possible so far.
Subsequent examination in court
Assuming that the investigating judge concludes the investigation before 1 November 2021, the results will be discussed on 1 and/or 2 November 2021. Claims by the injured parties will be discussed at that point as well.
Some of the relatives will exercise their right to address the court afterwards, on 8 November 2021.
From 15 November 2021 the Prosecution will deliver the closing statement with its demand for sentencing over two or three days.
If the investigating judge concludes the investigation after 1 November 2021, the claims by the injured parties will be discussed in early November, but the additional right to address the court and the submissions from the Prosecution will take place only in December 2021.
From 7 March 2022, four weeks have been reserved for the oral arguments of the Defence. Exactly how much time will be needed for that is unknown at this point.
The Prosecution and Counsel for the Relatives will then be able to respond from 16 May 2022, and the Defence will have this opportunity again from 6 June 2022. The trial in the case will then be concluded.
How much time the court will need to draft its opinion about this case in a judgment cannot be estimated yet. The court has therefore set three possible dates for rendering its decision. The first possible judgment date is 22 September 2022. In case the court is not ready by then, a second possible date has been reserved on 17 November 2022. The third possibility is 15 December 2022.
Upcoming summary
On this website the next summary will be published on 24 September 2021. That summary will conclude this block of hearings and will look ahead to the next court date(s).
Watch the livestream footage here:
Livestream 6 September 2021_part 1
Livestream 6 September 2021_part 2