The Moscow Chamber of Lawyers stripped Ilya Novikov* of his status after the third presentation by the Ministry of Justice. The department demanded that Novikov* be stripped of his legal status due to actions (or inactions) “aimed at undermining confidence in him or the legal profession”.
On the deprivation of Novikov * status as a lawyer informed CASS. Moscow Bar Association published the relevant council decision (it does not indicate the lawyer’s full name). The document states that the violation committed by Novikov* “is of a deliberate, gross nature, is indicative of his unacceptable behavior, unbecoming of a representative of the legal profession, undermining confidence in a lawyer and the legal profession, incompatible with the status of lawyer”. attorney.”
The ground for disciplinary proceedings, in accordance with the board’s decision, was the video interview of Novikov * dated May 2, 2022. Presumably, we are talking about an interview with a lawyer on the Popular Politics channel in the program Honest Word, in the title of which Putin was compared to Hitler with the atomic bomb.
The Council’s decision also includes Novikov’s position*. He claims that the allegations against him are not related to specific statements, but are due to his attitude towards the armed conflict in general. He also drew attention to the fact that the video that served as the ground for the disciplinary proceedings was published in May 2022 and that the documents presented by the Ministry of Justice are dated March 2023. At the same time, Novikov is sure that his practice will not be affected by the deprivation of his status as a lawyer, because, according to him, he no longer has principals in Russia.
“I am a Ukrainian lawyer, I have been living in Kiev since 2019, I passed the exam two years ago. My practice is that of a lawyer, it is Ukrainian, it is completely independent from that of Russia. My practice in Russia ended on February 24th. On February 24, a big cross was put on all questions. I will not be appearing in Russia for the foreseeable future. Not only will I not practice, but, of course, I will not come to Russia, since I am a foreign agent, a criminal case has been opened against me, I am on the federal wanted list, ”Novikov’s words are cited in the decision *.
The Justice Department placed Ilya Novikov* on the Foreign Agents Registry in November 2022. A week later, the Interior Department placed him on the federal list of wanted persons under a criminal article, but it was not specified for which.
In April 2023, the Ministry of Justice for the third time interceded on the deprivation of Novikov * of the status of a lawyer due to the fact that he “systematically published various types of information and statements incompatible with the status of a lawyer of the Russian Federation, discrediting the honor and dignity , and also undermining the authority of the institution of the bar.” The agency made the first submission in June 2022.
Ilya Novikov * is known for having participated in the games of the television club “What? Or? When? as well as in a number of high-profile court cases in Russia and Ukraine. He defended Ukrainian pilot Nadezhda Savchenko, director Oleg Sentsov and represented the interests of the Anti-Corruption Foundation ** Alexei Navalny. After the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine, Novikov * joined the ranks of the Kiev Defense Forces.
- registered by the Ministry of Justice in the register of foreign agents
** recognized in Russia as an extremist organization
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