The Moscow City Court on Friday told Sputnik it would decide on August 3 whether or not the two Khachaturian sisters, Krestina and Angelina, who killed their father after being physically and psychologically abused by him are to be tried by the jury
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 31st July, 2020) The Moscow City Court on Friday told Sputnik it would decide on August 3 whether or not the two Khachaturian sisters, Krestina and Angelina, who killed their father after being physically and psychologically abused by him are to be tried by the jury.
Earlier in the day, the court held preliminary hearings with the defense insisting on the trial by jury while the prosecution requested an extension of the sister's pre-trial restrictions.
"The court will rule on all of the motions on August 3," the court said.
The lawyers for the deceased's family, the sisters' other relatives, have asked to take the case back for additional investigation, but only to make the nature of the offense more severe and add greed as a motive for the crime.
"Apart from that, we have asked to transfer the case back to the prosecutor general's office and supported the motion about a trial by jury," lawyer Alexei Parshin told Sputnik.
Meanwhile, the case of the youngest sister, Maria Khachaturian, will be tried separately starting August 10 at the Butyrsky District Court in Moscow, as she was a minor at the time of the murder. Maria is facing admittance into a mental ward instead of prison, as she was determined to have been criminally insane at the moment of the crime and thus cannot be held accountable for her actions.
The three sisters attacked and killed their father in their apartment in Moscow. The case has become subjected to intense public scrutiny and discussion in Russia.
