Resumption of the court case involving National Guard serviceman Vitaliy Markiv, who was arrested in Italy on suspicion of killing Italian photojournalist Andrey Rocchelli in separatist-held territories of Donbas during 2014 will continue in September, according to the Prague-based Radio Free Liberty/Radio Europe (RFE/RL) media outlet, citing Markiv’s Ukrainian lawyer.
According to RFE/RL, Markiv will remain in custody until then.
On July 17, Markiv was questioned. During the six-hours interrogation his lawyers declared his innocence and lack of evidence supporting claims he was involved in the death of the photojournalist.
As earlier reported Markiv was detained on June 30 in Italy on suspicion of killing an Italian photojournalist Rocchelli near Sloviansk in Donetsk region in May 2014. Markiv is being held in Pavia, Ukraine.
The first hearing of the case was held on July 4, however the consular service of Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said the court did not review the facts of the case and did not rule on pretrial confinement. Ukrainian diplomats visited Markiv in a pretrial holding facility in Milan.
Ukraine’s Interior Ministry, meanwhile, reported Ukrainian representatives were not present at court proceedings on July 4.
Media reported that Pavia prosecutors have opened a criminal case into the circumstances of the death of an Italian and Russian journalist during 2014 in Donbas zone based on testimony from a French journalist. The French journalist said shelling by National Guard unit, in which Markiv served, caused the deaths of the journalists. The French journalist provided what he claimed was video evidence of his claim.
Deputy Head of the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine Yevhen Yenin, in turn, said the Italian photojournalist was killed in an area not under control of Ukrainian forces.
Ukraine’s consulate in Milan has filed a motion with the Pavia court to receive information about the basis and circumstances involving Markiv’s arrest. Ukraine’s Interior Ministry has expressed concern about the arrest of Markiv, who traveled to Italy during planned leave.
