MOSCOW, August 8 (Itar-Tass) —— The defense of athlete Rasul Mirzayev who knocked student Ivan Agafonov to death will present evidence to the court on Wednesday.
The Moscow Zamoskvoretsky District Court completed the hearing of evidence of the prosecutor. It has also listened to testimony of witnesses, among them doctors of the first city hospital that gave therapy to Agafonov, friends and the girlfriend of the defendant and eyewitnesses of the incident. An eyewitness, Akhmed Gigorian, told the court that Agafonov started the conflict by insulting Mirzayev and his girlfriend. Another witness, who accompanied Agafonov to the first city hospital, said that the admission was very slow and happened only after Agafonov started vomiting. Once admitted he was not given aid for a long time, in spite of requests for help.
Prosecutor Yulia Zotova read out testimony of witnesses, who did not appear in court. The testimony said that Agafonov could speak after the strike of Mirzayev and even planned to call for a taxi to go home.
Nurse Yekaterina Abakumova was also questioned by the court, but the prosecutor said she testified differently before the trial. Abakumova told the court she did not see if the victim had fallen off the gurney although she said before she saw him lying on the floor. The nurse also told the court doctors gave her no instructions concerning Agafonov.
Mirzayev’s lawyer Alexei Grebensky said that Agafonov might have incurred a new injury in his fall from the gurney, which deteriorated his condition. He did not rule out that the victim did not receive appropriate medical aid. “I will ask the police to check again the performance of the doctors,” he said.
Mirzayev, 26, Russian and world sambo champion, has been charged with premeditated heavy physical damage causing death by negligence (Part 4, Article 111 of the Russian Criminal Code), which may be punished with up to 15 years in prison. Detectives said his strike caused the death of Agafonov.
Mirzayev “used his professional skill and hit Agafonov in the face with his left hand” in an altercation near the Garage Club at about 4:00 a.m. on August 15, 2011. Agafonov fell down and hit his head. He became comatose at the hospital and died three days later.
Several examinations were made, which confirmed that the student’s fall caused his death. The defendant pleaded not guilty.