Substance resembling mercury found in the lawyer’s car

Karinna Moskalenko: “The French police have opened a criminal case against unknown persons who attempted to poison me and my family. We have left the automobile for investigation. Then it will be decontaminated by chemists from the fire department.” (Commentary given on 13.10.2008)

Novaya gazeta, 14.10.2008

Late on Monday it became known that an attempt had been made to poison the famous Russian lawyer and rights activist Karinna Moskalenko and her family, who are at present in France.

A large quantity of a substance resembling mercury was found in her car. Proceedings have been launched against the unknown persons who committed this crime. The French police and independent experts are now carrying out an investigation.

The condition of Karinna Moskalenko and the members of her family is reported as satisfactory. After all the necessary investigations have been carried out they be given a course of treatment.

On 15 October Karinna Moskalenko was due to take part in the preliminary hearing of the military court into the murder of Novaya gazeta commentator Anna Politkovskaya, representing the family.

Moskalenko is involved in many dramatic criminal cases and, among others, represents the interests of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, former head of Yukos, and of Russian citizens who apply to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, including cases linked to crimes committed by the armed forces and special services in Chechnya.

For the time being the French police have not issued any statement about the motives for the crime and are not talking about the progress of the investigation.