Trial on Nalchik attack: candidates for jurymen polled

Today, in the Supreme Court of Kabardino-Balkaria, at the proceedings on events of October 13, 2005, the prosecution asked questions to candidates for jurymen. A break was made in the trial till November 28, when the defence and prosecution should present their motivated challenges.

"Most likely, the final jury won't be formed this time either," advocate Magomet Abubakarov thinks. He believes that the prosecution tries by all means to undermine the jury formation process.

"This my personal opinion," Mr Abubakarov continued, "but I think that the prosecution is polling candidates with predilection, sometimes letting them know that prosecutors know more about them than required, for example, that a candidate for jury changed his residence. The questions asked are intended somehow to dissuade candidates to take part in the trial. For instance, such question: 'The trial will last long; will you get a leave from your work for all the time?' As a result, candidates for the jury start to self-disqualify. Today, 3 more persons did it."

According to the advocate, out of the initial list of candidates, 500 persons failed to appear at the court at all, and nobody knows why. "We moved a petition to send repeated summons to them. Maybe they failed to receive the initial ones," he said.