In the case of a black transplanter Wolfman questioned the third victim: “It was creepy”

The investigation believes that Boris Wolfman in 2006-2008 participated in the scheme for illegal organ transplantation of the international organization of “black transplantologists”. According to investigators, he and his accomplices persuaded people from poor families to sell kidneys, issued forged documents, bought plane tickets and accompanied donors at the airport and hotel in Istanbul. Organs for transplants to wealthy clients were taken from victims at the Medicus clinic in Pristina in Kosovo, but the promised money could not be paid in full.

Wolfman is accused of trafficking in human beings for the purpose of organ harvesting and causing serious harm to the health of three Russian citizens. Testimony of two of them – Vladimir Verbovsky and Anna Avdyukova – have already been considered by the court at previous hearings. The third victim, Vera Shvedko, was questioned on Tuesday.

Shvedko joined the court hearing via videoconference from Mineralnye Vody. She had already forgotten some details, but the prosecutor also read out written statements given by Shvedko during the investigation, which restored the full picture.

In 2008, Shvedko, who was living in Tel Aviv at the time, read an announcement in a Russian-language magazine that a kidney donor was needed. The organ was promised $10,000 and a contact number was also provided. A week later, Shvedko finally decided to call the number. The woman was forced to make such a decision by need - she lived in a rented apartment, there was not enough money, the younger daughter fell from the second floor, and hit her head hard, and additional finances were required for treatment, which was not there.

The call was answered by a man who introduced himself as Yura. They met at the bus station and discussed everything over a cup of coffee. Yura was a charming and courteous interlocutor. He convinced her that there would be no health consequences from kidney removal and that it would be possible to live with one organ for at least 90 years. Swedko agreed to the operation. Yura took her along with two other women, who were also supposed to be donors, to a curly young man who showed a scar on his stomach and said that he was doing well - "running, working.".

“It was a bit creepy because the scar was very large,” the woman told the investigator.

Jura bought tickets for all three women from Tel Aviv to Istanbul, where they were to fly to Pristina for surgery. In Istanbul, the new arrivals were met by an Israeli named Moshe and taken to a hotel, where Shvedko met Boris Wolfman. There was a blonde young lady with him. Wolfman invited to dinner, explained where to go, moved everyone into rooms and generally left the impression of a polite hotel worker.

He said, “You want it, you want it.” He spoke pure Russian.

Beautiful blue-eyed young man of 25 years, which catches the eye. Visually memorable, Shvedko said about the defendant.

She added that Yuri took the documents from her to buy tickets, and issued them after the operation. Donors were allowed to walk around the hotel where they spent the night. The women then flew to Pristina. On the plane, Shvedko saw a man to whom she was to give a kidney. As she later learned, the recipient was an elderly seriously ill German.

The woman described the clinic as a two-storey neat building with a beautiful hall. After the operation, Moshe carefully placed the agreed amount under her pillow. Less than three days later, Vera returned.

“I felt terrible, my stomach hurt,” Shvedko said, “it took several months to recover, I drank painkillers.” But now there are no health problems.

He added that her eldest daughter Anna Avdyukova also sold a kidney.

- I followed my mother's bad example. She got a call from Moshe, who had a number, because I used his phone to call my daughter to tell her I was okay. The daughter knew everything about what had happened, and was also in a difficult financial situation - with two children after the divorce, the victim explained.

Shvedko noted that she was asked to be silent and not to ask unnecessary questions, so she knew from the beginning that all this was illegal. In addition, she was subjected to psychological pressure - they said that the recipient of the kidney was already barely breathing and needed to be saved. Already in the clinic, she had doubts about whether she was doing the right thing, but if she refused, Shvedko feared that she would be forced into surgery, because Kosovo was a country where laws could not be respected. Nevertheless, until the moment when she was approached by law enforcement officers, the woman did not consider herself a victim, because she agreed to everything voluntarily, and she has no claims in connection with the crime committed against her personally to Wolfman.

Only from the investigation learned that clients took large sums, and gave the donor only one-tenth of them. This is also a shame, complained Shvedko.

The defendant's lawyer asked her what punishment Wolfman deserved if he was found guilty.

“Not strictly,” said the woman, to which the defendant laughed briefly.

“I understand that you were harmed, I am very sorry,” he said to the victim, “I want to say that I had nothing to do with this.”.

This ended the presentation of evidence by the prosecution.

The defendant’s lawyer told MK that Shvedko’s daughter Anna at the last meeting was also interviewed by the VKS, because she lives in Kamchatka. According to the lawyer, the victim could not say for sure whether the man in the “aquarium” the same person she saw 18 years ago at the airport in Istanbul. The lawyer also does not consider himself a victim and does not complain about health problems.

Before the judge leaves for the deliberation room to make a decision, there are only two sessions left - the interrogation on November 9 and the debate of the parties on November 17. Wolfman requested more time for another new lawyer to review the case, but the court refused.