Milan Court of Appeals to continue consideration of appeal in Markiv case tomorrow

November 3, 2020, the Milan Court of Appeals will continue to consider the appeal in the case of Ukraine’s National Guard serviceman Vitaliy Markiv, sentenced to 24 years in prison for alleged involvement in the death of Italian photojournalist Andrea Rocchelli in May 2014 in Donbas.

The Ukrainian community in Italy will hold rally in support of Vitaliy Markiv near the courthouse in Milan at 08:30 local time, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

As reported, Ukraine’s National Guard soldier Vitaliy Markiv was detained in Italy in the summer of 2017 on charges of his alleged involvement in the deaths of Italian photojournalist Andrea Rocchelli and his interpreter, Russian Andrei Mironov, near Sloviansk, Donetsk region, in May 2014.

On July 12, 2019, the Pavia court sentenced the Ukrainian to 24 years in prison.

A group of journalists decided to conduct their own investigation into the deaths of Rocchelli and his interpreter, Russian citizen Mironov. They produced a documentary called "The Wrong Place." The film was directed by Italian military correspondent Cristiano Tinazzi. Italians Ruben Lagattolla, Danilo Elia and Ukrainian Olga Tokariuk worked with him on the film. Experts, analysts, former servicemen, cartographers and many other specialists were also involved.

In September, part of the documentary was shown in the Italian parliament.

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