Igor Zhitenev

A resident of Voronezh region who participated in events against nickel mining in Prikhoperye. During one of the rallies he was severely beaten by security guards. In November 2013, he was detained on charges of extorting funds from the Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company (UMMC). Activists believed that the UMMC management itself had previously tried to bribe Zhitenev. According to the defence's version, the case was originally initiated in violation of the current legislation, as the resolution to initiate the case is dated November 22, 2013, and the accused has to be notified of such things on the same day, but Zhitenev learned that there were criminal charges against him only during his detention four days later. On April 22, 2014, the court hearing in the Tverskoy District Court of Moscow was held without the participation of his lawyer Alexei Vetrintsev, because the latter had not been notified in advance about the date of the trial. However, the trial was held with the participation of an appointed lawyer, despite Zhitenev's protest. He was taken into custody. On October 13, 2014, it became known that the charge was changed from extortion to large-scale fraud, but the prosecutor's office refused to approve this option, and as a result, the charge was reclassified to large-scale extortion. On June 8, 2016, Zhitenev was transferred from the pre-trial detention centre to house arrest. On December 22, 2016, the court returned the case to the prosecutor's office. This decision was cancelled on appeal. On March 7, 2017, Zhitenev was released on his own recognizance. On July 27, 2017, the court referred the case back to the prosecutor's office, but this decision too was overturned on appeal on September 28, 2017. On August 3, 2018, the court acquitted Zhitenev.