Person of the Week: Judge Artur Karpov

posted 16 Feb 2015, 02:16 by Rights in Russia   [ updated 16 Feb 2015, 10:51 ]
On Tuesday 10 February, Judge Artur Karpov, sitting in Basmanny distict court, extended the detention of Nadezhda Savchenko until 13 May. Savchenko, a Ukrainian army pilot detained last July on charges related to the June killing of two Russian journalists by mortar fire in east Ukraine, has been on hunger strike since 13 December 2013 in protest at what she alleges are politically motivated charges. She denies the allegations and claims she was kidnapped in Ukraine and forcibly transported to Russia. Judge Artur Karpov, who is on the Magnitsky list, refused to recuse himself from the case when challenged by Savchenko's lawyers. Savchenko's lawyer, Ilya Novikov, said Judge Karpov had never acquitted anyone. 

Judge Karpov has taken a number of decisions in favour of the authorities in high profile human rights cases. According to the website 'Stop the Untouchables. Justice for Sergei Magnitsky', Judge Karpov rejected the lawsuit from Magnitsky’s mother seeking to compel the Investigative Committee to investigate the torture and murder of her son. On 23 May 2013, Judge Karpov rejected the lawsuit from Magnitsky’s colleague, Jamison Firestone, seeking to compel the Investigative Committee to investigate the tax officials who approved the fraudulent $230 million tax refund. On 18 March 2013, Judge Karpov refused the lawsuit from Magnitsky’s mother against the posthumous proceeding against her son. Previously, Judge Karpov sanctioned arrests of Bolotnaya square activists. On 28 February 2014, Judge Karpov sanctioned the house arrest of Russian anti-corruption activist Aleksei Navalny.

Photo: Stop the Untouchables. Justice for Sergei Magnitsky

Sources:
'Moscow Court Extends Detention of Captive Ukrainian Pilot Savchenko', The Moscow Times, 10 February 2015
'Moscow judge refuses to recuse himself in Ukrainian pilot Savchenko’s trial', RAPSI, 10 February 2015
'Artur Karpov, Judge of Basmanny District Court of Moscow', Stop the Untouchables. Justice for Sergei Magnitsky

Each week Rights in Russia highlights the activities of a human rights defender, civil rights activist, victim of alleged human rights abuses, or alleged perpetrator of such abuses
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