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Statement concerning investigation against former senior officials of Domodedovo airport

Since the very beginning of investigation into the 2011 terrorist attack, investigators were to not only find the guilty ones, from perpetrators to organizers, but to protect the rights of the victims. This is the main thing the investigation has to be and is guided by while investigating any kind of a crime. It is well-known, that the investigators have solved the terrorist attack very quickly and professionally. The ones involved in its organization have been identified and punished a long time ago: some of them are serving long terms in prison, others were killed during special operations.

When organizers and perpetrators were found, the investigators had to determine the whole set of reasons that contributed to the crime. This is needed to avoid such tragedies in future and to try to protect the rights of the victims in full. The investigators has worked constantly in this direction and now we have certain results, not pleasing for everybody, and especially for those who was or is involved in managing Domodedovo airport, as well as for those who get profit from the airport. Take notice that over the whole time since the terrorist attack, all they have had to tell was about incompetence of the investigation and imperfection of the system, but over all this time we haven’t heard a single apology to the victims or their relatives for the tragedy that happened in their airport.

The main thing in this crime was to “switch the blame” to anyone, even if it was a dead end for the investigation. But during all this time, the investigators have worked steadily, not paying attention to rebukes, accusations and even offences. The investigators studied documents, assigned forensic tests or carried out other investigative operations and came to a conclusion that there was a cause-and-effect relation between the failure to ensure security at the airport and the terrorist attack, which I will try to explain in short.

Pointing out the cause-and-effect relation between the actions of the accused and the consequences, the lack of which the defense tries to prove, the investigators are proceeding from the fact that the accused realized the situation. ZAO Domodedovo International Airport was created to provide airport services to clients and to ensure due level of security of flights. The airport carried out different kinds of certified activity, including taking measures of aviation security. This is why commercial aviation authorities issued necessary certificates of conformity. The cooperation agreement says that the set of security measures should be taken by ZAO Domodedovo Airport Aviation Security. The functions of sole executive bodies of the said companies were passed on to Airport Management Company Limited (hereinafter AMCL) registered on the Isle of Man in Great Britain. This way, the actual management of the enterprises involved in Domodedovo airport complex was run by Russian office of Airport Management Company Limited, headed by Svetlana Trishina in 2009-2012. Nekrasov and Danilov were her subordinates and headed ZAO Domodedovo International Airport and ZAO Domodedovo Airport Aviation Security since 2010. According to their job descriptions, among other things they were responsible for ensuring aviation security.

When the passenger traffic increased sharply, the accused had only one task: to increase the capacity while minimize the expense. This was what the new technology of spot check was introduced for. As a result of this “super technology”, which apparently brought huge profit with minimum expense, no more than 2% of people entering the airport actually went through metal detectors. This means that basically security in Domodedovo airport, the facility of higher danger, was a formality, because the chance to find explosives or prohibited materials was just 2%. And the criminals who plotted the terrorist attack knew about it. Of course, the managers of the airport could not be unaware that anybody could come into the airport. When owners or managers of such facilities are guided by the principle “security is nothing, money is everything”, then as a rule trouble comes sooner or later. We can provide a lot of examples (Khromaya Loshad (Lame Horse) club, Bulgaria MV and others). All the actions of Domodedovo airport managers taken to increase the airport’s capacity with security close to nothing led to the fact that on 24 January 2011, Magomed Yevloyev freely carried an explosive device inside the airport and then set it off.

At present, the accused Trishina, Nekrasov and Danilov are in custody. The investigators asked for this restraint because being free the accused can press witnesses from among the airport staff or to develop a common position of resistance and this way hinder the investigation. Actions the defense is taking today, giving away absolutely distorted information, trying to affect the public opinion, only makes the investigators more confident that they are on the right way.

At this point we believe that this explanation is enough. After the investigation has been finished, the case is going to be sent to court, which will decide on whether the accused are guilty or not guilty. But for now, the investigators continue their meticulous work and it is possible that the circle of those involved in the crime may become even wider.

Head of Media Relations                                                                                                                             V.I. Markin