Due to the fact that the Belgorod Region Investigations Directorate of the Russia’s Investigative Committee is receiving a lot of appeals from citizens who have doubts about the impartiality of the investigation against former doctor Ilya Zelendinov and classification of his actions, the Investigative Committee believes it necessary to give some explanations.
I remind that on 29 December 2015, the doctor hit a patient in hospital No 2 in Belgorod who fell and died. The death of the patient was reported to the police at night of 30 December 2015. On 30 December 2015, based on the result of a forensic medical examination which found out that the cause of death was a brain injury got from the hit on the floor, an investigator of the Belgorod Investigation Department opened an investigation against Zelendinov over a crime under part 1 of article 109 of the RF Penal Code (reckless homicide). On 31 December 2015, during a search the investigator confiscated a CD with the footage from a camera in the hospital ward, and studied it before it got leaked to the Internet.
Considering a public reaction and for quickest, full, impartial and all-around investigation the Chairman of the Investigative Committee took the case under his personal control and ordered that it was given to the first major investigations department of the Belgorod Region Investigations Directorate for further investigation.
During the probe, new data were received on the details of the incident showing that Zelendinov was acting deliberately. Based on this, on 12 January 2016, he was charged with deliberate infliction of grievous bodily harm involving death of the victim (part 4 of article 111 of the RF Penal Code). Following the request of the investigator, a court ruled to remand the accused in custody pending trial.
It was also revealed that Zelendinov had also hit the man who was accompanying the patient. The criminal case opened against Zelendinov over that (paragraph “a” of part 2 of article 116 of the RF Penal Code – battery out of hooliganism) was investigated by the Belgorod Region Office of the Russian Ministry of the Interior and them was passed on to the regional investigations directorate. At present, the two cases have been joined to form a single law suit.
Not only the details of the incident and those preceding it are being established during the investigation, but the quality of medical care provided to the victim following the conflict.
I want to assure everyone who follows the investigation that it is impartial and all-round. A lot of witnesses were questioned in short time, including the administration of the hospital, the staff, participants of the conflict and other investigative operations were carried out. The investigators already have a full and impartial picture. The investigation is about to be finished and after the sides have read the case files, it is going to be passed on for the indictment to be approved.
Head of Media Relations V.I. Markin
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