Thus, the court has denied the motion of Mr. Pichugin's lawyers for the change of measure of restraint, which was made during preliminary hearings.
According to lawyer Georgy Kaganer, when the case was taken to court no session involving all the parties and the defendant was held to appoint the measure of restraint. "Thus our defendant remained in custody automatically," Mr. Kaganer noted.
Alexei Pichugin was arrested on July 19, 2003. The Russian Prosecutor General's Office charged him with attempted murders of Olga Kostina, former PR chief of the Moscow City Hall and ex-advisor of former Yukos CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky, in November 1998 and former Menatep official Sergei Kolesov in 1998 and murder of two Tambov residents Olga and Sergei Gorin in 2002.
According to the Prosecutor General's Office, Alexei Peshkun is Pichugin's accomplice. Both suspects are retained in custody.
Moreover, Yukos shareholder Leonid Nevzlin is also charged with these crimes.
