The Primorsky Regional Court overturned the verdict on Artyom Samsonov, a deputy of the regional legislature, who was convicted of child molestation. According to RIA Novosti with reference to the press service of the court, the case was sent for a new trial. Samsonov, who was imprisoned, was transferred to house arrest.
The reason for the annulment of the verdict was the violation of the secrecy of the deliberation room, the corresponding complaint was filed by the deputy's lawyers.
A deputy of the Legislative Assembly of Primorye from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation was detained in November 2021, he was charged with sexual assault against a teenager under the age of fourteen (clause “b” part 4 of article 132 of the Criminal Code). According to investigators, in 2018, while at a recreation center in Vladivostok, Samsonov showed an 11-year-old boy a dildo and explained why this item was needed. In September 2022, the deputy was sentenced to 13 years in a strict regime colony.
A statement against Samsonov was written by his acquaintance Irina Safonova, who claimed that the deputy showed the dildo to the son of her partner. Samsonov pleaded not guilty and insisted that he did not know the boy. In addition, according to the defense, Safonova herself brought dildos to the beach of the recreation center.
Samsonov connected the criminal case with the elections to the City Duma of Vladivostok, which were to be held in September 2022. In addition, local media reported that the deputy participated in events in support of Alexei Navalny. It is also known that Safonova wrote a complaint addressed to Vladimir Putin, in which she claimed that Samsonov “persistently and aggressively” agitated her to “join Navalny’s movement”, and also appeared on the beach without underwear and said that in this way he instills “European values."