What a wonderful trial that was. I really enjoyed it. You don’t even need to prove to anyone that it was unjust.
First, everyone attending the hearing was forbidden even from holding their phones in their hands (I’m not joking: “Either put them away or put them on my desk”).
Then, when I was left alone in the proceedings, without a lawyer (there was documentation confirming leave, the court had been warned at the previous hearing, and the motion had been filed in advance), and it had become so obvious that the hearing needed to be postponed that even Liksutov’s representative supported the motion for postponement, they began hearing the case on the merits.
When I pointed out that I could not properly argue a case about online publications on my own, without counsel, because I have been banned from using the internet for six months, they paid no attention.
No documents — no attention.
Using a computer to read the case materials — not allowed.
Motion to review online materials using the court’s computer — denied.
Review media materials from *Echo of Moscow* and *Vedomosti*, where in his interviews Liksutov lies and says the exact opposite of what he wrote in his lawsuit — denied.
Of course, not the slightest commercial secret or private-life matter was being discussed — but the proceedings were still kept closed.
Apostilled documents proving we are right — of no interest.
That was the expression on my face — sheer astonishment — by the time I reached the end of the trial.
You know the ruling: Liksutov was right about everything, completely not guilty. He violated nothing and has no offshore companies. I have to pay him 100,000 rubles in moral damages and 500,000 rubles in legal costs. Not bad for a trial consisting of a single day of hearings on the merits.
Let me say once again: I have considered, and still consider, Liksutov one of the biggest corrupt officials around. I will keep writing about this, and you will see that he is not some petty crook, but a very major one. All these closed-door proceedings exist for one reason only: so that, God forbid, no one starts digging into the schemes that Liksutov and, in my view, Sobyanin are running with Transmashholding, whose shareholder remains Liksutov’s “former wife.” For example, in the procurement of metro cars.
That secret is sacred, which is why there was nothing like this circus either in the case with Neverov or with Rudensky, who are, formally, higher-ranking officials than Liksutov.
The message is clear: want to write about us? Then you’ll be paying 600,000 rubles at a time while sitting under arrest and with your accounts frozen — until you either wise up or get scared.
I want to say right away to Liksutov, to Sobyanin, and to their entire justice system: I’ve become wise enough that I’m no longer afraid. Neither I nor the ACF (Anti-Corruption Foundation) will stop our investigations into corruption in the Moscow mayor’s office and the city transport department.
