Russian lawyer Elena Ponomareva has been doused in green antiseptic dye at a bus stop in Moscow, as per the Moscow Region Lawyer Chamber press service.
Lawyer Elena Ponomareva says that a hooliganism criminal case on her attack has been initiated after her filing a report with the police, according to Russian state news agency TASS.
Furthermore, the police have detained two men suspected of attacking Elena Ponomareva, TASS reports, citing the Main Directorate of Moscow’s Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Photo: Elena Ponomareva after the attack
“An unknown man doused her in green dye at a bus stop. The lawyer suffered injuries in the attack, her retina was injured,” the statement by the Lawyer Chamber reads.
According to Ponomareva, she has second-degree chemical eye burns.
Russian Telegram channel Baza reports that, according to Elena, the attack is connected to the bribery case of judge Kotov — the lawyer was invited to speak in court as a witness.
Photo: Ponomareva’s car
Ponomareva said that she had previously received threats. Unidentified persons doused her car in a non washable dye and slashed the tires.
The Lawyer Chamber statement also indicates that Elena received threats via messengers with photos of her relatives, as well as photos of her property and her dog, “which demonstrates that the lawyer was being followed”. Furthermore, “going to the police yielded no results, the perpetrators were not identified”.
The chamber’s commission on protecting the rights of lawyers told media outlet Adv Street that Ponomareva was under state protection due to several instances of threats to her life.
“The Moscow Region Lawyer Chamber Council plans to ask the leadership of law enforcement agencies to initiate a thorough investigation of the crimes committed against the lawyer,” their statement reads.
Elena Ponomareva works in the Moscow Region Law Society Tsukanov, Ponomareva, and Partners.
