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Judge Olikhver again rules that the defence may not cross-examine the witness, and issues a warning to defence lawyer Georgiy Kaganer for challenging that decision. Defence lawyer Dmitriy Kurepin lodges another application for Judge Olikhver to stand aside from the case, which Olikhver rejects. 29 October 2004. Smirnov's examination continues. He says that all his testimony given during the pre-trial investigation and in court is quoting Gorin, which he cannot corroborate in any way. 1 November 2004. No proceedings on this day due to illness of co-defendant Aleksey Peshkun's lawyer. 4 November 2004. The trial is adjourned until 10 November as Peshkun's lawyer is still unwell. It later emerges that in this way the court is trying to delay proceedings in order to have the jury dismissed. 10 November 2004. Judge Olikhver adjourns again, until 17 November, due to Pichugin feeling unwell. Pichugin himself has not reported any health issues and has not requested any adjournment. 17 November 2004. The secretary to the court announces that the trial is adjourned until 23 November because the judge is unwell. 23 November 2004. The secretary to the court announces a further adjournment, until 7 December, due to the judge's continued indisposition. Judge Olikhver herself attends work as usual during these two weeks. 7 December 2004. The trial is adjourned for a fifth time. Judge Olikhver announces that proceedings are suspended until 9 December because of the absence of several jurors and Peshkun's defence lawyer. 9 December 2004. Judge Olikhver overrules defence objections and its calls for jurors to be compelled to attend, and dissolves the jury. Afterwards, some jurors tell the defence team that they regret they were not allowed to acquit Pichugin. A new trial is set for 17 January 2005. 17 January 2005. The trial fails to begin as the defendants are not in court. Given the Moscow City Court's resources, this explanation seems far-fetched. It emerges that in the intervening period since the first trial, the Procuracy General has replaced state prosecutor Boris Loktionov with Yevgeniy Naydenov and Kamil Kashayev, known for their role in a number of reprehensible cases and for pushing for the toughest possible sentences. 25 January 2005. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe hears an address by its special envoy Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger. Most PACE members speaking in the ensuing debate support her conclusion that "political pressure is being brought to bear on the judicial inquiry in the Yukos case". According to Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger, the worst human-rights violations have been identified in the Pichugin case. Particular note is made of unlawful questioning with the use of a mind-altering substance. PACE considers that the conduct of the entire Yukos case and Pichugin's case in particular are marred by clear violations, and expresses doubt in the justice, impartiality and objectivity of the Russian authorities.
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