ENGLISH TRANSCRIPT OF ANDREI'S LAST SPEECH

Your Honor,

In my opinion throughout this process it has been proved many times that I am wrongfully accused of the things that are being incriminated to me. I would like to point out that the investigation process was of a ridiculously low quality, of which there are many examples.

Your honor, I still insist on my innocence. When I left to meet those people I was doing my job. And if you consider the specifics of my work, which has already been discussed here in Court, you must understand that I couldn’t have ignored the information I received and not gone there.

Since there were many discussions here about my professionalism I would like to quote you some numbers, if I may.

During 2007, as a result of the work of the MVD special operations group in Dagestan which I headed, and due to the information collected, 28 extremist fighters were killed, while the losses on the federal side have gone down and only 21 officers, one member of investigation unit and one judge were killed.

After the incident that happened with me the work of the MVD special operations group, which, among other things, dealt with agents and informants, was paralyzed or  ‘stopped until the case is resolved’. Now, here are the figures announced by the president Dmitry Medvedev on the 9/09/09 during his emergency visit to Dagestan. Over the period of one-year 62 officers of the federal forces were killed, as well as 9 FSB officers, 2 judges and 7 employees of the local court of justice. This amounts to 80 people in federal losses. Also killed were 12 high-ranking officials and religious leaders. Among them the minister of interior of Dagestan, first deputy of the high court, deputy of the regional investigation unit and the head of the FSB department of Hasavurt.

These numbers show that losses on the federal side have increased significantly while only 35 extremist fighters were eliminated. These numbers are a direct result of the disruption of the work done in connection to the dealings with agents and informants.

Your honor, I have spent most of my adult life serving this country. But I don’t feel it’s appropriate for me to talk about my own achievements here too much. The necessary papers are included in the case. I also can’t share a lot since, in some ways, I remain on duty even though I am incarcerated.

I served this country giving it my all. My health, my personal happiness, my life. I have been wounded many times, including two gunshot wounds to the head, two barotraumas, and three blast related concussions. Since 1996 every year I have spent between 120 and 200 days on the missions.

There are many unresolved questions with connection to this case. Why people who were armed and had not the best intentions in mind travelled over 1000 kilometres and only carried out the attack, that really appears more like a circus show, on a well-lit petrol station under CCTV cameras and in front of many witnesses.

Your honor, I have been taught to be soldier and I have been doing it all my life and I believe I was doing it well. I fought to protect this country, never thinking about my own safety or well-being. I hope, your honor, you will take this into consideration.

Thank you.