MOSCOW, November 15 (Itar-Tass) — Moscow's Zamoskvorechye court on Thursday will resume the hearing of the criminal case against sambo champion Rasul Mirzayev, accused of causing a student's death.
Judge Andrei Fedin is expected to brief the parties on the conclusions of the new expert examination carried out by specialists of the Russian Ministry of Public Health.
The expert examination is to clarify whether it was the athlete's punch that caused student Ivan Agafonovs' death or a tragic confluence of circumstances.
Oksana Mikhalkina, the lawyer of the injured parties said "the arguments of the parties could take place on Thursday — in theory — but practically, I believe they will be preceded by several sessions."
The trial began in February and was suspended at the verdict stage, when the judge ordered to reopen the inquest.
A new expert examination had to determine if there had been causal connection between Mirzayev's blow and Agafonov's death. Four previous expert examinations had not found such connection.
The expert center under the Justice Ministry, initially charged with the task, was unable to issue a conclusion saying the questions asked by the court were outside of its competence.
In this connection, the expert examination was handed over to personnel of the Russian forensic center under the Public Health Ministry. However, it, too, said it lacked necessary specialists: neurosurgeons, anesthesiologist-resuscitation experts, a specialist in sport medicine, and forensic experts in cranial injuries. The center thus requested the court to consider inviting the above specialists to the expert commission.
Mirzayev, a sambo world and Russia champion, is accused under Article 111, Part 4 /"malicious infliction of serious harm to health which resulted in the victim's death by negligence"/. It envisions a penalty of up to 15 years in prison.
On August 15, 2011, Mirzayev and Agafonov had a row near the Garazh nightclub at around 04:00. Mirzayev, "using professional skills and sport training, deliberately delivered one pointed strike with his left hand in Agafonov's face," the case materials said. The student fell and hit his head of the asphalt. In hospital, he slipped into a coma and died three days later. The defendant pleaded not guilty.