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Article: Russian Juries Return, but Old Habits Remain; Legal System's Reforms Hampered by Culture of Skepticism, Corruption, Poor Facilities
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- October 8, 1995
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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Early one evening last November in a town south of Moscow, three
Russian men got into a drunken brawl. The only one to survive,
Dimitri Alesin, was accused of murder. His denim jacket rumpled, his
face sallow from prison, Alesin recently got his day in court,
standing in a cage.
Holding onto the cell bars in Hall 7 of the Moscow Regional Court,
Alesin steadied himself as Judge Yelena Snegiryova questioned his
version of events one more time. "Do you admit that you struck
Prokhorenko?" she asked about one of the victims.
"Yes, but it was not deliberate," he replied. "I was just brushing
him off."
"Do you think you were responsible for all the stabbing?"
"I don't remember."
The courtroom ...