- Sputnik International
Russia
The latest news and stories from Russia. Stay tuned for updates and breaking news on defense, politics, economy and more.

Court hands down jail terms to attackers of Chechen singer

Subscribe
MOSCOW, June 15 (RIA Novosti) - A Moscow court Thursday sentenced two students who attacked a Chechen singer and her son last fall to prison sentences of nine months and one year.

Alexei Petrenko and Sergei Bagrov were charged with inciting racial hatred for assaulting Liza Umarova and her son near Fili Park in western Moscow on September 5, 2005.

Petrenko was sentenced to one year and Bagrov to nine months in prison. A third suspect, Artur Belov, had his case closed after settling out of court.

Investigators said the three young men had been drunk and also assaulted a Jewish man one hour after beating up 16-year-old Murad Umarov. Prosecutors say Petrenko showed his victims a tattoo of the Nazi swastika while beating them.

Bagrov and Belov pled not guilty, whereas Petrenko partially admitted his guilt, saying he had slapped Umarov on the face.

Prosecutors asked the court to sentence Petrenko, Bagrov and Belov to three, two and 1.5 years in prison, respectively.

Lawyers said they would appeal the verdict, which they considered illegal.

"All the prosecutors' evidence should be confirmed in court but this did not happen," lawyer Lyudmila Mironova said. She earlier denied any racist motivation behind the attacks.

"They are just ordinary guys, and they did not have any xenophobic motives," she said.

Moscow's Dorogomilovsky district court earlier sentenced Petrenko and Bagrov to three and two years in jail, respectively, while Belov got a one-year suspended sentence. The defense contested the decision, and the case was sent for retrial.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала