The court in Luhansk oblast set free the ex-minister of the coal industry of the “LPR”. It did not see his guilt

The Kreminna district court in the Luhansk oblast acquitted the former director of the Pervomajska mine, Sergey Baranov, the minister of the coal industry and energy of the “LPR”, and released him. A well-informed source reported OstroV about this.

Baranov was accused of involvement in the creation of a terrorist organization. The ex-minister was detained on March 31, 2015. Baranov headed the separatist "department" in May 2014 under the then head of the "republic" Valeriy Bolotov.

"On March 31, the SBU counterintelligence detained this citizen who escaped from the territory controlled by the militants and was hiding in the illegally privatized building of the former kindergarten where he built his own estate", - the press service of the SBU reported. The detainee could end up with a 15-year prison term under Part 1 of Article 258-3 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

On May 31, 2017, the prosecution demanded that Baranov be sentenced to 10 years in prison. According to Baranov himself, the militants kidnapped him and forced to become a "Minister of Coal Industry of the LPR". Baranov denied his guilt in the courtroom.

As evidence, the prosecution provided video tapes of the separatist television channel, where Baranov appears as a "minister". According to the judges, provided evidence was not enough.

Yesterday, on May 31, 2017, S.Baranov was fully acquitted by the judges and released from custody in the courtroom Kreminna town.