This process has been lasting since last year. From the very beginning, it had become widely publicized, so it still remains in the spotlight in both Italy and Ukraine

On June, 12, the court of Italian Pavia sentenced fighter of the National Guard of Ukraine Vitaliy Markiv to 24 years in custody.

Who is Vitaliy Markiv?

Markiv is an anti-terrorist operation (held in Donbas) soldier, born in 1989, in Ternopil region. In 2003 moved with mother and sister to Italy, where obtained Italian citizenship.

In December 2013, during Maidan, Markiv went back to Ukraine; at the beginning of anti-terrorist operation in Donbas, he became a volunteer in Kylchytsky battalion, which participated in battles near Slovyansk (Donetsk region).

In 2017, Vitaliy went to visit mother in Italy but was arrested in the airport of Bologna.

What Markiv is being accused of?

Markiv was arrested on suspicion of involvement in the killing of Italian photo correspondent Andrea Rocchelli, who died from a mortar fire near Slovyansk in May. 2014.

The court trial on Markiv started on June 6, 2018, in Pavia, Rocchelli’s native city.

The same day Italian National Press Federation, Lombardi Associates, and Cesura Lab filed a lawsuit against Ukraine.

Due to the suit was issued incorrectly, consideration of the case on the merits started only in November.

Open source

Prosecution

The prosecution stated Markiv was a unit commander, and he knew that there were reporters and pointed on them.

In particular, the prosecution stated that there were numerous mortar attacks (about 30), and they were prolonged.

Prosecution witnesses – French journalist William Roglon, who stayed alive while shelling, and also two Italian journalists, who spoke to Markiv by phone.

At the same time, as Hromadske notes, none of these witnesses could provide neither direct proof of Markiv’s guilt nor that Rokelli was killed from shelling by the Ukrainian army.

Testimonies of the Italian reporters had many contradictions – from different dates and places to different languages they allegedly speak to Markiv. Roglon also contradicted his own testimony on different trials.

Defense arguments

Markiv’s lawyer, Italian attorney, Raffaele della Valle stated his client wasn’t then a unit commander, but the soldier of National Guard. Thus, he couldn’t give orders.

The defense also provided court documents taken from Ukraine. Particularly, the defense proved Markiv’s battalion had not got mortar shells, and location didn’t allow to see the foothills of Mountain Karachun, where the journalist died.

Markiv himself denies all the charges.

112 Agency

Ukraine’s position

Prosecutor General Deputy Eugen Enin stated Rocchelli visited so-called “grey zone” without coherence with official authorities of Ukraine.

At the same time, May and June 2014, there fierce fighting for Slovyansk and Mountain Karachun was lasting.

Minister of Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov appealed an official statement to Ambassador of Italy in Ukraine, in which noted the proceedings materials use such definitions as ‘pro-Russian rebels-separatists’, ‘civil conflict’, ‘aggression of Ukrainian army’ etc.

The MIA, according to norms of international conventions, emphasized that there is Russian hostility against Ukraine, so Ukraine is forced to fight back to save its sovereignty.

Avakov also noted Rocchelli was warned about Mountain Karachun was the spotlight of fighting, but the reporter went on a trip without authorization.

112 Agency

On the eve of the sentence