Reps' defense attorneys Andri Rohtla and Paul Keres are seeking financial compensation for their client due to the fact that the charges brought against her prevented her from being able to continue working in the Riigikogu. The defense is seeking €259,527.36, equaling the four-year salary of an MP, Estonian news portal Delfi writes (link in Estonian).

Secondly, according to Reps' lawyers, Denis Tšasovskih, the former state prosecutor that had previously served as lead prosecutor on the case, violated the presumption of innocence when he discussed the charges against Reps in an appearance on ETV current affairs show "Ringvaade."

The defense is demanding that the state must first compensate for the damage done by issuing an apology, which must be aired on "Ringvaade" and on ETV news broadcast "Aktuaalne kaamera" as well as published on ERR's online news portal. They are also seeking compensation for non-material damages, to a fair extent at the court's discretion, for Tšasovskih's statements.

In her closing statement in court, Reps said that over the past four years, she has been publicly canceled.

"This dream of it being possible to continue to exist in Estonia while under investigation or even on trial is completely false," the former education minister said. "Someone's cancellation is so thorough that even private sector representatives, speak nothing here of the public sector, don't dare communicate with someone ostracized by society."

Reps also noted that the Prosecutor's Office would have reached a plea deal with her, however the civil suit filed against her by the Ministry of Education and Research wouldn't allow for it. She called the ministry's suit political revenge.

In its civil suit, the Ministry of Education has filed a nearly €120,000 claim plus interest – now totaling more than €30,000 – against Reps.

In the criminal case currently still on trial, the prosecution is seeking a sentence of six months in prison for embezzlement and one year in prison for fraud for former minister of education and research Mailis Reps, suggesting that the harsher sentence override the lighter one and the latter not be enforced, ultimately resulting in a one-year conditional sentence.

Keres, Reps' defense lawyer, told ERR last week that the prosecution's demand is completely unwarranted, as no crime has been committed.

The judge will announce the verdict on September 27.

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