”I was shocked by the questions asked by a “1+1” TV channel journalist. I understood that he was trying to put me off balance before a court session. It is frustrating to know that such a young journalist would behave so impudently. Either it was his goal or he was absolutely unprofessional,” she said.

Addressing the trial, Lesya Gongadze said she sees only the perpetrators of the murder in court, not its contractors. She has no claims to the killers of her son as they were following orders given by their chiefs.

The Prosecution General’s Office has tried to cover up the murder since the start of the investigation in 2000, she said.