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Alexander Bastrykin holds a video-conference reception of citizens

The Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia held a video-conference reception of citizens. It was attended by the First Deputy and Deputy Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia, heads of units of the Central Office of the Committee, heads and staff of the Voronezh, Saratov and Yaroslavl Regional Investigative Departments, who investigated criminal cases that were the subject of the head of the agency's attention.

Mother and grandmother of a boy who died two years ago from an electric shock in the Voronezh region complained about the progress of the preliminary investigation. According to them, the investigation has been repeatedly suspended and terminated, contradictions remain in the case, and the true cause of the tragic consequences has not been established. The materials of the criminal case show that a broken power line wire caused the fatal electrocution of the child. The investigators of the territorial unit concluded that there was no event of a crime, as the cause of the accident was the careless actions of the older brother, who threw a metal fragment on the wires while he was with the boy. However, the applicants believed that the tragedy was related to improper maintenance of the power line by the employees of Energia LLC, but this version was not given due attention by the investigators. Expressing condolences to the child's mother and grandmother, Alexander Bastrykin criticised the work of the territorial investigative department and its head Kirill Levit. A procedural check on the facts voiced by the applicant was ordered. According to the decision of the Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia the investigation into the probe will continue in the central office of the Investigative Committee of Russia.

A resident of the Saratov region visited a reception regarding the disappearance of her foster daughter. In February 2020, a local resident, 22, left her acquaintance at night and went missing. A few months later, bone remains were discovered near the village of Khlebnovka. A forensic examination confirmed that they belonged to the missing girl, but investigators were unable to establish the cause of her death and the criminal case was closed. The complainant disagreed with the findings of the investigation, asked for a re-examination to be ordered and, if confirmed, for all the circumstances of the incident to be established. The Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia assessed the work of the regional investigation extremely negatively, noting the investigators' lack of interest in establishing the truth in the probe and their aloofness from other people's misfortunes. Alexander Bastrykin has put the further investigation and the order of implementation of his instructions in the Central Office of the Investigative Committee of Russia under control.

Also during the reception, the Chairman of Investigative Committee listened to a resident of the Yaroslavl region whose husband went missing in 2009. In March 2019, a man's car with a bullet hole was found in an abandoned garage. According to the complainant, her husband's murder was committed because of a debt-related conflict. The deceased faced reluctance of debtors unwilling to return the money. The investigation is complicated by the death of the alleged mastermind and perpetrator of the crime. The woman complained about the length of the investigation and asked that steps be taken to find the remains of her deceased husband. The Chairman of Investigative Committee ordered the criminal case to be transferred to the Central Office for further investigation and gave specific instructions to his subordinates to carry out investigative and search operations.

Alexander Bastrykin instructed to carry out official inspections of the officials involved in the investigation and provide forensic support for the investigation by the Main Forensics Directorate (Forensics Centre). At the end of the reception, the Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia declared his readiness to meet with the applicants again if the measures taken were insufficient.