An appeal against the verdict in the case of officer of the National Guard of Ukraine Vitaliy Markiv will start in Italy in September, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine said.
“The appeal against the verdict was expected last spring, but due to the pandemic crisis it was postponed until the autumn. The hearing at second instance will take place in Milan Court of Appeal,” the ministry said on its Facebook page.
Thus, in the petition, the defense asks to finally and unconditionally justify Markiv due to the lack of evidence of his involvement in the tragic incident that occurred on May 24, 2014 near Sloviansk in Donetsk region.
As reported, on July 12, 2019, the Italian court sentenced national guardsman Markiv to 24 years in prison, finding him guilty of complicity in the premeditated murder of Italian photojournalist Andrea Rocchelli in 2014.
On July 24, 2019, Zelensky held a phone conversation with Conte during which they discussed the conviction of Markiv. The Ukrainian head of state offered legal assistance with a joint inquiry into Rocchelli’s death. The president expressed concern over the unjustifiably harsh court ruling and stressed the importance of an impartial consideration of this case by the Italian court of appeal.
On Sept. 24, 2019, during a meeting in New York, Zelensky proposed Conte to create a joint investigation team to determine the circumstances of the death of Italian photojournalist Rocchelli in eastern Ukraine.
The Court of Appeal in Lombardia will consider an appeal filed by Markiv’s defense team in spring 2020.
