All news

Court extends arrest of Rasul Mirzayev, accused of causing student's death

Moscow's Khamovniki court on Wednesday extended, to July 8, the arrest of athlete Rasul Mirzayev

MOSCOW, May 16 (Itar-Tass) — Moscow's Khamovniki court on Wednesday extended, to July 8, the arrest of athlete Rasul Mirzayev, accused of fatally striking a 19-year-old student last year.

The court thereby met the petition by investigator Denis Semyonov to extend Mirzayev's custody by another two months.

According to Semyonov, who is deputy head of the investigation department for the Central Administrative District, the reasons for selecting custody as the measure of restraint for the suspect, have not changed.

"When at large, and being aware of the gravity of the committed crime and legal consequences, Mirzayev may escape from the investigator or obstruct the preliminary probe in some other way," he told the court.

The prosecutor for the state and the injured parties supported the investigator’s petition.

Mirzayev drew attention of the court to the fact that "he turned himself in to the investigator and that he had time to escape if he wished." He argued that this meant he had never intended to flee.

"Despite the fact that Mirzayev is accused of the commission of serious crime, I wish to draw your attention to the fact that the charges were brought with gross violations of criminal legislation," Mirzayev's lawyer Alexei Grebensky said.

According to an expert elimination, the causal relationship between Mirzayev's actions and the consequences had not been ascertained. He fully admits his offense and he turned himself in, and gave complete testimony, the lawyer said, adding that his client had never put pressure on the investigators, witnesses or the injured parties.

"Mirzayev admits his guilt in the commission of the crime; we only disagree with the classification of the offense," Grebansky said.

The fatal incident occurred in Brodnikov Pereulok in central Moscow on August 15, 2011. Student Ivan Agafonov was rushed to hospital after a punch delivered by Mirzayev near the Garage nightclub and died several days later without regaining consciousness.

Two expert examinations were carried out within the case, which showed that the death had been caused by a fall onto asphalt after a powerful blow. The media broadly covered the nightclub incident causing a public stir. Mirzayev turned himself in to police the next day after the incident.

The Zamoskvorechye district court initially planned to release Mirzayev on a 100,000-rouble bail, but the Moscow City Court overrode the ruling and returned the case to the prosecutors. The prosecutors later toughened the charges against Mirzayev. If convicted, he might face up to 15 years in prison.