BERLIN (Reuters) – A Russian man charged with murdering a former Chechen rebel in Berlin on behalf of Moscow last year went on trial on Wednesday, heaping further pressure on diplomatic ties already strained by the poisoning of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.
The shooting in August 2019 of Tornike K., a Georgian who had fought against Russia in Chechnya, led to the expulsion of Russian embassy employees in December.
Prosecutors say 55-year-old Vadim K. approached the victim from behind on a bicycle in the Tiergarten park in central Berlin in broad daylight and shot him with a pistol equipped with a silencer.
The suspect then shot the victim twice in the head while he lay on the ground, they say.
Vadim K., also known as Vadim S., was arrested nearby soon after the attack and has been in custody ever since. He is charged with murder and the illegal possession of a weapon. If found guilty, he faces life in prison.
“The defendant is alleged to have carried out a state mission, either for payment or because he shared the motives of his clients,” the Berlin court said in a statement.
Russia has denied any involvement in the killing.
The trial begins as Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government discusses with partners what action to take after the global chemicals watchdog confirmed Navalny was poisoned with a nerve agent from the banned Novichok family.
Navalny was air-lifted to Berlin for treatment after collapsing on a flight in Siberia on Aug. 20. Germany and other Western governments have called on Russia to help with the investigation. Moscow denies it was involved in the poisoning.
(Reporting by Madeline Chambers; editing by Barbara Lewis)
