Funicular Murder: Those Present in Court Could Not Hold Back Tears During Prosecutor General's Speech

At the trial of former UDO employee Artem Kosov, accused of murdering a 16-year-old at the capital's funicular station, those present cried during the speech of Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, reports a UNN correspondent.

Details

"The prosecution believes that a life sentence will be as close to justice as possible, but it will not be justice. Maksym lost the most precious thing - his life. He lost his dreams, his hopes. His parents lost their child. His uncle lost his nephew, his friends lost their best friend. And Ukraine, in my opinion, and society lost hope for the future, because Maksym could have become a famous football player, made some discovery. He could have become, with a high probability, the person who would have brought benefit to society and to the country," emphasized Prosecutor General Kravchenko.

The case has now moved to the debate stage. The next court hearing is scheduled for September 17.

Recall

On April 8, 2024, Artem Kosov was notified of suspicion of intentional murder of a teenager. As established by the investigation, the incident occurred at the upper funicular station, which leads to the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery. Kosov, being intoxicated, began to harass a group of teenagers, among whom was Maksym Materukhin. Kosov pushed the 16-year-old boy, who died from the impact of the fall. The investigation in the proceedings was conducted by the State Bureau of Investigation, as at the time of the crime, the suspect was serving in the UDO.

On April 9, 2024, the Pechersk District Court of Kyiv sent the law enforcement officer into custody for 60 days, without the right to bail. After that, the preventive measure was extended several times and currently the accused is in a pre-trial detention center.

On May 5, 2024, DBR employees completed the pre-trial investigation, after which the case materials were handed over to the defense for review.

On May 29, the indictment against former State Protection Department employee Kosov was transferred to the Shevchenkivskyi District Court of the capital.

During the investigation, DBR investigators established that the murder of the minor was committed out of hooligan motives, for which he faces life imprisonment.

On August 14, the Shevchenkivskyi Court of Kyiv appointed a free lawyer for Artem Kosov. The Kyiv court also extended Artem Kosov's preventive measure until October 11 without the right to bail.

Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, during the court on August 20, analyzed the accused's actions based on the video reviewed in court, noting that Kosov's behavior was cynical and demonstrated disregard for human life.

Ruslan Kravchenko also reported that, according to witness testimonies, the accused reached for the place where he had a pistol, thereby threatening those around him.