MOSCOW, April 30 (RAPSI) – Court proceedings conducted through video link meet the criteria for fair and public hearing of a case and do not violate the rights of accused persons, the Russian Supreme Court explains in its second judicial review published during the pandemic of coronavirus.

Russia’s highest instance cites legal positions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) reading that the use of the videoconference at the hearings does not contradict the definition of fair trial assuming that detained suspects and accused persons taking part in the proceedings can follow the course of the trial, hear the parties and speak without encumbrance (the ECHR ruling of February 16, 2016 "Yevdokimov and Others v. Russia").

Taking into account this ruling and the fact that the novel coronavirus infection is added by the Russian government to the list of dangerous deceases, courts are authorized to consider urgent cases through videolink in order to comply with coronavus prevention measures, the Supreme Court holds.