 During the lead-up to the trial, Anna Karpova, Gaskarov's fiancée, told the Institute of Modern Russia that “Alexey is very seriously preparing for the trial.He wants to utilize his legal base to its full extent and is going to participate in the process to the fullest extent.Even despite the circumstances, when one might think it impossible to influence the process, he is very active in terms of defending and asserting his position.” His pretrial hearing began on April 14.