Commencement of the investigation
The lawyer Carlos Broitman explained that the case linked to Russian citizen Konstantin Rudnev began after an incident at the hospital in Bariloche. A young pregnant Russian woman went there, accompanied by a friend and an interpreter.
According to the ombudsman, medical staff suspected that the young woman might be a minor. As noted by Broitman, the doctors "thought she was around 14 or 15 years old," which prompted the call to the police and, subsequently, the intervention of the prosecutor's office.
The lawyer added that, based on these suspicions, some members of the hospital staff interpreted the situation as a possible case of surrogacy or even kidnapping. This set of assumptions became the starting point for the hypothesis that was later brought before the courts.
"They made up a whole story and ended up believing it,"said Carlos Broitman said when describing how, according to his version, the case originated.
These statements were made during an interview with journalist Gabriel Russo on the program "Comunas."
How Konstantin Rudnev's name came to be in the file
According to Broitman, Rudnev's surname did not appear in the initial proceedings. It was added later, after a participant in the process mentioned having seen a copy of the Russian citizen's passport, photographed during a residency procedure.
According to the defense, that reference was interpreted as a possible link between Rudnev and what happened at the hospital, which is why his identity was added to the file.
The lawyer also claims that, during those days, numerous Russian citizens were detained in Bariloche and nearby towns.
"It was a real 'witch hunt': they arrested everyone and then decided what to do," Broitman recalled.
He also pointed out that Rudnev had previously resided in Montenegro and, before that, in Russia, where he had been involved in criminal proceedings. In the defender's opinion, this background could have influenced the way in which some authorities interpreted his presence in the region.
The position of the defense and the status of the investigation
Konstantin Rudnev remains detained in the maximum security prison in Rawson, located in the province of Chubut. In a previous instance, a court had authorized his house arrest with electronic monitoring, but that decision was later overturned by a higher court.
Broitman considers that the investigation lacks procedural grounds to justify continued detention.
"We must seek the truth, based exclusively on objective evidence,", the lawyer declared.
He added that the alleged victim, Elena Makarova, has repeatedly stated that she did not know Rudnev and has expressed her willingness to testify. According to the defense attorney, this direct testimony has not yet been publicly incorporated into the case file.
The investigation continues under the supervision of the Bariloche Public Prosecutor's Office. So far, no definitive charges have been brought, nor has a convincing body of evidence been presented.
An ongoing process
The case remains under investigation and awaiting further court decisions. The defense insists that future proceedings should focus on verifiable facts and the direct testimony of the alleged victim.
For now, Konstantin Rudnev's situation remains unchanged: he is still in custody and the case in Bariloche remains open.
The full interview with attorney Carlos Broitman can also be viewed on YouTube.
His health is deteriorating while injustice continues to prevail.
But you can make a difference.
Your support can help Konstantin regain his freedom and return to his family.
