The Kyivskyi District Court of Odesa was due to continue hearing the criminal proceedings against doctors from the private Odrex clinic, who are accused of improper performance of their professional duties, which may have led to the death of patient Adnan Kivan. However, another motion from the defense postponed the hearing of the case. This time, the lawyer for the accused, Maryna Bielotserkovska, was unable to participate in the hearing. The hearing was rescheduled for September 18, UNN reports.
The court proceedings in this case have been ongoing for more than nine months, yet for a significant portion of this time the process has effectively stalled. The absence of defense lawyers, motions to postpone hearings, recusals, attempts to change jurisdiction, and other procedural actions have repeatedly delayed the moment when the medical expert will be heard. It is the expert who is expected to "dot the i's and cross the t's" and answer the questions of whether there is a causal link between the doctors’ actions and the patient’s death, and whether they complied with treatment standards.
Just last week, two consecutive hearings (on September 10 and 11) did not take place because of motions by Vitalii Rusakov’s lawyers. The defense lawyers said that they were participating in other court proceedings on those days.
Presiding Judge Viktor Chaplytskyi deemed the reasons for Rusakov’s lawyers’ absence unjustified and said that he would send the relevant ruling to the Qualification and Disciplinary Commission of the Bar to decide on the possible disciplinary liability of the defense lawyers.
Will the delay in the Odrex case have consequences for the lawyers?16.09.26, 09:01
The so-called procedural delay of the case by the defense may be aimed at allowing the statute of limitations in the criminal proceedings to expire. In that case, even if the evidence confirms the doctors’ guilt, they will bear no responsibility whatsoever for their actions.
Five people complained to the Ministry of Health about the private Odrex clinic31.08.26, 12:11