ST. PETERSBURG, June 15 (RAPSI, Mikhail Telekhov) - History professor Oleg Sokolov charged with killing his postgraduate student Anastasia Yeshchenko and arms trafficking has waived his attorney Alexander Pochuyev who had defended him from the investigation beginning, the United press service of St. Petersburg courts reports.

According to video records submitted by the press service, Sokolov thanked Pochuyev for his work and asked law enforcement bodies to check threats the lawyer received in relation to this case.

Sokolov said he wanted to be defended by attorney Sergey Lukyanov who attended the first hearing and wanted to sign an agreement with the historian but later, after their personal meeting he announced that they could not reach a deal.

Sokolov voiced his desire to waive the defense lawyer after a prosecutor read an indictment against the defendant. The court was to adjourn the hearing until June 22.

According to investigators, rescuers pulled the 63-year reader out of a local river early on November 9 and hospitalized. Woman’s severed hands and a nonlethal pistol were found in his backpack. Other parts of her body were found in his flat. The man was arrested when left the hospital the next day. He voluntary surrendered.

The victim was identified as the 24-year postgraduate student of the St. Petersburg State University and Sokolov’s partner.

The professor pleaded guilty. He said that he gunned the woman and broke up her body.

Sokolov is a historian and ideologist of reconstruction of Napoleonic period battles. He has been conferred the Legion of Honor, the French national award instituted by Napoleon Bonaparte.